EURO Matchday 17 Preview

The Round of 16 closes tonight. Shock Group E winners Romania face off against the under-performing Netherlands, while tournament darlings Austria face a revitalized Turkey.

The Round of 16 closes tonight. Shock Group E winners Romania face off against the under-performing Netherlands, while tournament darlings Austria face a revitalized Turkey.

Romania v Netherlands 

Few would have predicted it ahead of the tournament, but Romania have not just qualified from Group E, but stormed past the competition to do so in first place. Particularly Romania’s opening 3:0 triumph against Ukraine showed why they are worth their place in the final 16, but all told, there wasn’t a lot that ultimately separated them from packing their bags on Wednesday night. 

For the first time in EUROs history, all 4 teams in one group ended the groupstage on 4 points, with goal difference ultimately making the difference in Romania’s favor. The tight conditions led to two tense simultaneous affairs where Romania’s faithful fan base were led on a rollercoaster of emotions. 

At kick-off Romania were top of the group, after 24 minutes a Slovenian lead buried them at the bottom of the group, and from minute 37 on, they remained at the top after Răzvan Marin equalized from the penalty spot. 

The emotional tension will have taken its toll, but Romania will be overjoyed at earning only their second appearance in the knockout stages of a European Championship. In 2000, Romania fell at the hands of Italy. Can they go one better this time around?  

To do so, they will need to beat the Netherlands. Ronald Koeman’s side have qualified for the EURO knockout stages, but to do so as one of the best 3rd-placed sides is below the lofty expectations fans have of this side. The Dutch midfield have been hamstrung by key injuries ahead of the tournament, and on Tuesday, the limitations of this new-look trio were spotlighted by an Austrian opponent that dominated the affair. Jerdy Schouten and Tijjani Reijnders both suffered under Austria’s incessant pressing football, but it was 25-year-old Joey Veerman who had the most nightmarish afternoon on the pitch. Veerman completed only 9 of his 19 passes and was hooked off after only 35 minutes. 

In the final third, the Netherlands have also not looked at their best, with disjointed and selfish play hampering the raw individual talent from coming consistently to the fore. Still, one player who entertained the crowd on Tuesday with another exhilarating performance was Cody Gakpo. The 25-year-old was a shock inclusion in Louis van Gaal’s EURO 2020 roster, and 3 years later, he is now an unquestionable starter in Ronald Koeman’s tournament side. Though nominally a winger, Gakpo is constantly finding his way in-field to engage with scoring opportunities on his stronger right foot. This ploy was crucial in finding the temporary equalizer in the 47th minute, with Gakpo making a sharp fake inward to leave Austrian defender Philipp Lienhart in the dust. 

Prediction: Netherlands Win 

Austria v Turkey 

To round off the first knockout stage, Austria face Turkey in the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. Austria have arguably been the most impressive outsider at this summer’s competition, growing from strength to strength as the tournament has gone on. A fantastic opening performance against France went unrewarded (1:0 defeat), but since then, Austria have won back-to-back matches against Poland and the Netherlands to top Group D. 

Particularly the match against Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands showed the extraordinary quality this squad is delivering on the pitch. In baking 32° heat, Austria pressed with relentless intensity to completely over-run their opposition. The red-bull DNA pulled the plug on ‘total Dutch football’, dictating the pace through large stretches of the match to come out with a deserved 3:2 victory. 

One of the biggest achievements from Ralf Ragnick has been his ability to turn a squad without a supposed superstar into a collective that is functioning far beyond individual means. Only 7 players in the squad featured in last season’s UEFA Champions League, yet Austria are nevertheless playing like a well-oiled machine that can compete with the very best nations in the competition. 

Though lacking the same consistency as the Austrian national team, Turkey are revived after reaching the knockout stage of an international tournament for the first time since 2008. The opening victory against Georgia was an enthralling and exhilarating affair, but since then, Turkey have lost their way from a performance standpoint. A heavily rotated side was easily beaten by Portugal on matchday 2, while on matchday 3, Turkey were very fortunate to beat a Czechia outfit that played with 10 men for over 70 minutes. 

The Turkish midfield have the quality to dominate and dictate a match, but in defense, there are some sincere worries about the potential for individual errors to derail this campaign. Centerback Samet Akaydin has long been questioned by the Turkish fanbase, while both goalkeepers used at the competition - Mert Günok and Altay Bayındır - have enjoyed horrible tournaments. Günok will likely start against Austria, but the Besiktas shot-stopper is on a shaky foundation after massive errors against Austria and Czechia led to goals. 

Prediction: Austria Win