Romania v Netherlands LIVE: Result and final score as Donyell Malen seals Euro 2024 quarter-final place
Netherlands were too good as they saw off Romania in a 3-0 win
A much-improved Netherlands saw off Romania to book their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Cody Gakpo fired in a powerful opening goal and Donyell Malen’s second-half double clinched the 3-0 victory.
The Dutch will now play either Austria or Turkey in the quarter-finals in Berlin on Saturday. Austria produced a brilliant performance to beat Netherlands 3-2 in the group stage.
Follow the reaction from the Allianz Arena in the blog below.
Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 68 minutes
Canny from Memphis Depay but not quite there! Romania opt not to place a draught excluder behind the wall and Depay drills it beneath the protective foursome as they leap, a bit of bend taking it past Florin Nita’s right-hand post.
Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 67 minutes
Xavi Simons shimmies past Marius Marin, who has no option but to bring the lively 21-year-old down 25 yards from goal. Romania’s midfield defensive linchpin will miss the quarter-final should his side get there.
OFFSIDE! Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 64 minutes
A suspicion of offside but Cody Gakpo has his second!
Or not! Gakpo is indeed offside as a ball bounces his way off Donyell Malen’s thigh.
Romania begin to fret as the semi-automated offside system takes slightly longer than usual to make what appears a clear call to rule it out, but VAR confirms soon enough what was almost obvious to the naked eye. Gakpo had latched on inside the six-yard box after a double deflection to a delivery from the right and prodded home, but had begun beyond the final defender.
Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 62 minutes
Fine save! Cody Gakpo breaks from deeper, smoothly striding with engine purring as he travels some 50 yards over the halfway line. He unfurs a pleasant-looking effort that Forin Nita palms past the post.
Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 61 minutes
Romania’s fans lift the volume as the Dutch are forced to deal with a series of corners. Denzel Dumfries improvises a clearance with his thigh before a defensive colleague makes a much more certain job of getting the ball away.
Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 58 minutes
A second goal feels to be on the way. Jerdy Schouten breaks up possession 30 yards from his own goal and sets the Netherlands away on the counter, Xavi Simons’ switch finding Donyell Malen in open acreage. Malen should probably do much better from his crossing position on the right with two team mates waiting.
Up the Dutch colossi come to contest the corner. And off the outside of the post! Virgil van Dijk directs his header downwards but not quite with the correct co-ordinates.
Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 56 minutes
The Netherlands just seem to have found greater solidity in their shape. Nathan Ake prevents Radu Dragusin from sliding a progressive pass between he and Virgil van Dijk, who appeared to have Denis Dragus well marked regardless.
Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 53 minutes
How has that not gone in? Stefan de Vrij lifts the tempo for the Netherlands, surging from centre back into the Romania half. Donyell Malen injects yet more pace and when his cross ricochets to Memphis Depay, a goal seems a certainty. Yet a crucial toenail from Andrei Ratiu prevents Depay connecting cleanly, and the ball bounces off about five Romanian limbs and into Florin Nita, who gobbles it up with a relieved gasp and grasp.
Romania 0-1 Netherlands, 50 minutes
Tijjani Reijnders screams for handball having parted the Romania midfield and defence with a remarkable run right down the centre, rattling a shot in to a diving Bogdan Racovitan. It does strike the replacement’s elbow, but his chicken wing is tucked away and VAR Bastian Dankert permits the game to resume after a prompt perusal of the footage.
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