The Netherlands bounced back from a disappointing loss to Austria as they comfortably beat Romania 3-0 in the Euro 2024 Round of 16. The Oranje’s third-place finish in Group D meant that they would have to beat Group E’s winners to advance into the quarter-finals. However, Cody Gakpo’s first-half strike and a double from substitute Donyell Malen saw the Dutch side comfortably through into the final eight. Last Word on Football looks at their key takeaways as they announced themselves to other favourites with a dominant display.
Netherlands Key Takeaways in Knockout Thrashing
Oranje Have Finally Arrived at Euro 2024
Although they only scraped through as one of the group stage’s best third-placed sides, the Netherlands avoided any of the tournament favourites in the Round of 16. Instead, they played a Romania team who are ranked 47th in the FIFA World Rankings. However, this shouldn’t detract from how impressive the Oranje were in Munich. Romania were completely outclassed, and when group E’s winners looked for an equaliser late on, Koeman’s side showed just how threatening they could be on the counter-attack.
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Every player played well and contributed to the win. The Netherlands’ performance was as good as anything produced so far in the Euro 2024 knockout stages. Koeman has spent time experimenting with his squad to find the right combinations. The pain suffered whilst the former Barcelona manager found his best lineup appears to be worth it: the side are now well set up for a deep run this summer.
Koeman Has Found His Right Winger
The position that Koeman has experimented the most with this summer is his right-winger. Xavi Simons started against Poland but is much more comfortable in an attacking midfield role. Jeremie Frimpong got the nod as the Netherlands faced France. However, the Bayer Leverkusen wing-back failed to impress and hasn’t played since. Malen started in the final group game but scored an own goal and looked unsettled afterwards.
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Against Romania, Koeman took a gamble. Steven Bergwijn was given his Euro 2024 debut; he didn’t play poorly, but the Netherlands manager still wanted more. Malen replaced the Ajax winger at half-time and with a clear mind: the Borussia Dortmund attacker proved why he should start on the right for the rest of the tournament. The 25-year-old looked lively from the 45th minute as the Oranje looked to seal the win.
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Malen’s first goal came in the 83rd minute after his great movement capitalised on some fantastic play from Gakpo. The Dortmund attacker’s second strike was a perfect example of why the Netherlands need him and his pace on the pitch. He took advantage of Romania’s desperation for an equaliser and calmly finished off a counterattack when played through by Simons.
Netherlands Defence Bounces Back
Against Austria, the Netherlands’ defence was an absolute shambles. They defended far too casually and allowed Ralf Rangnick’s side to do as they pleased in attack. Lutsharel Geertruida and Stefan de Vrijj were the subjects of heavy criticism for their inability to stop attacks down the right. Koeman reintroduced Denzel Dumfries against Romania, who had struggled himself versus France.
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De Vrijj was allowed to bounce back despite being bullied by Marko Arnautovic. The Inter Milan defender faced none of the same problems against Romania, winning five of his six aerial duels as the Netherlands limited their opponents to just one shot on target. Their Round of 16 opponents weren’t the toughest and gave the Dutch defence a chance to regain confidence and trust in each other.
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The Netherlands will face harder battles, including a quarter-final with Turkey. Their defence must prove that the Austria game was just a simple blip, or they may face a disappointing exit in the last eight. The Oranje are on the easier side of a fascinating Euro 2024 bracket: they will not face anyone in the top 15 of the FIFA World Rankings until at least the semi-finals. With Virgil Van Dijk turning 33 on July 8, the Netherlands may not get a better chance of making his dream of lifting an international trophy come true.
