Netherlands beat Turkey in a dramatic soccer encounter in the ongoing Euro 2024 to set up semi-finals with England.
England’s quest for a first major tournament win in 58 years remained alive after another late fightback before beating Switzerland 5-3 on penalties to book their place in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
Just as France beat Portugal 5-3 penalties on Friday night to set semi-finals with Spain that beat the hosts Germany 2-1.
After the 120 minutes finished level at 1-1, England’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was the Three Lions’ hero in the shoot-out as he saved Switzerland’s first spot-kick from Manuel Akanji.
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Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold converted their penalties to send England into a semi-final meeting with Turkey or the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday.
After needing Bellingham’s 95th-minute equaliser before going on to beat Slovakia in extra time in the last 16, England were again staring at defeat with 10 minutes to go.
A dreary encounter for the first 75 minutes came to life after Breel Embolo put Switzerland in front.
Saka’s fine strike from outside the box levelled with England’s first shot on target five minutes later.
Manchester City defender Akanji was then the unfortunate penalty villain as Switzerland’s horrible record in major tournament quarter-finals goes on.
They have now lost five without ever reaching a semi-final.
By contrast, England march on despite another in a string of underwhelming performances from Gareth Southgate’s men.
In his 100th match in charge of his country, Southgate again resisted calls for mass changes in personnel but did alter his system.
Ezri Konsa made his first ever competitive international start in place of the suspended Marc Guehi as England switched to a back three.
However, contrary to expectation, Saka remained on the right in what proved to be an inspired decision by Southgate.
The Arsenal winger was by far the biggest threat of a first half in which neither side managed a shot on target.
Saka was skipping beyond Michel Aebischer at will and created the best chance of the first period when Kobbie Mainoo saw an effort deflected behind just before the half-time whistle.
The game continued at the same laboured pace from both sides into the second half.
Embolo finally managed the first shot on goal when his weak effort was easily handled by Jordan Pickford.
Southgate has been repeatedly criticised for being too slow to influence games with his substitutions.
– England make belated changes –
Despite having one of the most richly-talented squads at the tournament, it took until they fell behind for Southgate to shake things up.
England looked headed for a meek exit when Embolo pounced at the far post to turn in Dan Ndoye’s deflected cross at the back post.
Southgate reacted immediately with Palmer, Eberechi Eze and Luke Shaw, making his first appearance since February, sent on.
Within five minutes England were level as Saka cut inside and fired low and hard in off the far post.
Switzerland were indebted to a brilliant save from Yann Sommer to deny Declan Rice a second for England early in extra time.
Harry Kane was then forced off injured after a nasty fall into the England dugout.
And it was Switzerland who came closest in the second half of extra time as Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner came back off the woodwork before Pickford parried Zeki Amdouni’s powerful strike from distance.
England won only one of five previous penalty shoot-outs at the Euros, including defeat by Italy in the final three years ago.
But they were perfect from the spot as Saka erased some of the pain from his decisive miss in the Euro 2020 final.
Netherlands crush Turkey 2-1
Similarly, Netherlands struck two second-half goals in seven minutes to come from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday and set up a Euro 2024 semi-final clash with England.
Samet Akaydin sent Turkey ahead in the first half but Stefan de Vrij headed the Netherlands level and Murt Muldur turned into his own net under pressure from Cody Gakpo after 76 minutes to hand the Dutch victory.
The build-up to the quarter-final clash in Berlin was overshadowed by a diplomatic row between Turkey and Germany after their last-16 hero Merih Demiral was banned for two matches for making a controversial salute.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the match at the Olympiastadion as a result, along with tens of thousands of fans who greeted every sustained Dutch period of possession with a barrage of whistles.
Netherlands overcame the pressure from the stands and Turkey’s energetic style, as well as a flurry of late chances, to reach the Euros semi-finals for the first time since 2004.
Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella deployed five at the back, hoping his young side could catch Netherlands on the counter-attack.
It was the 1988 Euros champions who carved out the first chance, with Gakpo and Memphis Depay linking up well before the latter blazed over.
Koeman captained the Netherlands to glory 36 years ago but until their convincing 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16, the Dutch looked incapable of challenging for the trophy, sneaking through their group in third place.
They reverted to that weaker self in the first half after their early incursions, allowing Turkey to firmly establish themselves in the game.
Montella’s side began to pin the Netherlands back with a string of set pieces, eventually capitalising after 35 minutes when Arda Guler recycled a corner which was only half-cleared.
The 19-year-old Real Madrid playmaker swirled in a cross dripping with temptation with his weaker right foot, and Akaydin, who returned from suspension to replace the banned Demiral, powered home a far post header.
Turkish fans, unsurprisingly filling three-quarters of the stadium given their large diaspora in Germany, roared and ignited flares in celebration.
– Weghorst the game-changer –
Koeman had to shake things up at the interval and brought on Wout Weghorst, the team’s saviour against Poland in their opening fixture, for Steven Bergwijn.
The burly Burnley striker made a rapid impact, giving the Netherlands a target to hit up front, which they looked for with regularity.
Guler continued to probe at the other end and was scythed down by Nathan Ake as he threatened to break free.
The youngster took the resulting free-kick himself and crashed a low effort against Bart Verbruggen’s post with the goalkeeper scrambling.
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk was booked for fouling the rapid Baris Alper Yilmaz as he flew past him on the right wing.
Turkey, in their first quarter-final at a major tournament since 2008, almost grabbed a second but Verbruggen saved well from Kenan Yildiz’s stinging low effort from the edge of the box.
With 20 minutes to go, Weghorst forced a smart save from Mert Gunok, but the Turkish goalkeeper was eventually beaten by De Vrij after 70 minutes.
Memphis Depay swung in a cross after a short corner and Inter Milan defender De Vrij met it with a towering header to level the score.
Turkish team going sorrowful
Just six minutes later Netherlands went ahead when Denzel Dumfries swept in a dangerous low cross which Muldur bundled into his own net under heavy pressure from Euros joint-top scorer Gakpo. It was the 10th own goal of the tournament.
Although Weghorst was not directly involved in either goal, his presence in the box unsettled a Turkey defence that largely kept the Netherlands at bay in the first half.
Turkey should have levelled but Zeki Celik and Kerem Akturkoglu had efforts blocked and the Netherlands lived to fight another day — against England on Wednesday in Dortmund.
AFP
