Netherlands beat Turkey 2-1

Well played, Turkey. The Netherlands scored two of the goals of the tournament and played arguably their best game of the tournament so far. They gave us glimpses of what's to come from Arda Güler and Orkun Kokçu and some more Balkan drama, but Turkey's fairytale story ended for the Netherlands.

They did not go down without a fight, however, as they beat Austria in the quarter-finals after a tough battle before facing widely expected favourites the Netherlands in the final.

It's sure to be a good match, especially for a Turkey side with plenty of attacking talent. Their wide, end-to-end style of football relies not on any particular tactical set-up but on creative playmakers like Kokcu, Güler and Kenan Yıldız taking on defenders and creating chances with their technical ability. They play a very open style of football, allowing them to launch very dangerous attacks down the flanks, but leaving them vulnerable on the counter-attack.

Akaydin's goal gives Turkiye the lead

Within the first minute of the game, we got a glimpse of how they could have an impact in transition: Memphis Depay won the ball early on the left wing, attacked, dribbled past three defenders into the penalty area and fired a shot over the crossbar. Turkiye won the ball, regrouped defensively and built up in his usual style: fast and wide.

Despite nearly 30 minutes of back-and-forth play and no chance of keeping possession, Turkiye took the lead in a dramatic fashion through Güler. The teenager's in-swinging cross from the edge of the penalty area met the leaping Samet Akaydin at the far post, whose header beat a frozen Bad Verbruggen and ensued pandemonium. A dramatic celebration ensued as Akaydin's team-mates swarmed the area, tackling him and shaking hands with joyous smiles. The goal gave Turkiye a chance to equal their greatest ever Euros result of reaching the semi-finals.

The Netherlands looked to Wout Weghorst to spark some attacking firepower at half-time, and although the Hoffenheim striker had come off the bench for most of the Euros, he scored one goal and provided one assist in his 93 minutes on the pitch, providing the attacking firepower the Netherlands desperately needed.

He made an immediate impact. Weghorst came on for Steven Bergwijn at half-time and as the Netherlands began to slow down, they created more chances. Just a few minutes after the break, Weghorst latched onto a long ball from Nathan Ake and headed it through to Depay, who was racing past the post. Depay was unlucky to not get to the ball in time, but it set the tone for the second half. Turkey were desperate to defend their one-goal lead and the Netherlands were relentless in their attacks.

Gakpo's goal gives the Netherlands the lead

Güler still had his moments, hitting the post with a 40-yard free kick, but the Dutch dominated the first half. Depay worked well past two Turkish defenders before crossing for Weghorst, who volleyed from the six-yard box but it fell into the side netting. Gakpo evaded a defender and chipped past another before breaking through a tight defense and setting up Xavi Simons for a chip that was blocked by another defender. And finally the equaliser came.

The Netherlands pulled one back with a cross from Depay into a crowded box. Centre-back Stefan de Vrij was shockingly isolated in the box, towering above the others. He flicked a 10-yard header that just about flew past goalkeeper Mert Gunok. There was frenzy in front of the Dutch goal. There was celebration and joy, but also relief and enthusiasm on the faces of the Dutch players, satisfied to have made it even but desperate for another goal with 14 minutes remaining.

And sure enough, the Netherlands won. After taking a hard-fought lead in the second half, the Netherlands finally scored the winner. Denzel Dumfries ran desperately to meet a through ball, then fed another to Kody Gakpo, Holland's best player of the tournament. Gakpo stumbled over the ball, pushed by an equally desperate Turkish defender, but in the end his mis-hit tap was enough to beat Günok. It was a perfect example of the duality of winning and losing. While Depay and Gakpo ran together, celebrating in front of enthusiastic orange-clad fans, Günok lay face down, exhausted.

Turkey's late-game excitement is lacking

Turkey fought back successfully against the Netherlands, their red and white flames sweeping through the well-constructed Dutch defence and threatening to destroy any semblance of continuity and structure that the Dutch had built up throughout the match.

But in the end, the Netherlands held on to a tough win over Turkiye. Verbruggen produced one of the best saves of the tournament in added time, narrowly deflecting a Semih Kirikkoy volley out of the net to preserve the Netherlands' lead. Then Hakan Calhanoglu broke free to find himself one-on-one with Verbruggen, and defender Denzel Dumfries returned the favour with a brilliant sliding tackle on Calhanoglu to all but seal the game.

The Netherlands will field a full squad to face England for a place in the final, while Turkey was eliminated after their best performance in the tournament's history. With a shot at a World Cup, the seeds of a second golden generation seem to be budding.

Photo: Imago