The Netherlands secured a 3-0 victory over Romania in the last-16 fixture of Euro 2024. Cody Gakpo scored his third goal of the tournament, with Donyell Malen adding two more late goals to seal the win. After criticism for their defensive display in the group stage, the Dutch put on a composed and controlled performance to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2008.
In the match against Romania, the Dutch started slowly but gradually gained momentum to take the lead through Gakpo’s goal. Malen’s brace in the later stages of the game secured their spot in the quarterfinals against either Austria or Turkey. Gakpo, who was named the player of the match, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, citing an improvement from their previous game.
Romania, who struggled to create clear goal-scoring opportunities, were unable to match the Dutch’s dominance in possession and chances created. Manager Edward Iordanescu highlighted the need for a near-perfect performance, which was lacking from his side. Defender Andrei Burca expressed disappointment at the outcome of the match, acknowledging the destabilizing effect of the Netherlands’ first goal on their team.
The Dutch showcased their superiority with two-thirds of possession and 24 attempts on goal compared to Romania’s limited attacking threat. With Virgil van Dijk hitting the post and Gakpo having a goal disallowed for offside, the Netherlands demonstrated their attacking prowess and intent to make a strong impact in the tournament. Overall, the match marked a turnaround in form for the Dutch team, sending a message that they are finding their stride at Euro 2024.
