Turkey’s lead was given by Samet Akaydin in the first half, but Stefan de Vrij headed a header to tie the score, and after 76 minutes, Murt Muldur gave way to pressure from Cody Gakpo, giving the Netherlands the win.
A diplomatic spat between Turkey and Germany overshadowed the build-up to their quarterfinal match in Berlin, following the suspension of their last-16 hero Merih Demiral for two matches for a controversial salute.
As a result, tens of thousands of supporters showed up to the Olympiastadion to watch the game, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan among them. The supporters welcomed each extended Dutch possession spell with a flurry of whistles.Netherlands made it to the Euros semi-finals for the first time since 2004 by overcoming pressure from the crowd, Turkey’s aggressive approach, and a flurry of late opportunities.
In an attempt to allow his inexperienced team to catch the Netherlands on the counterattack, Turkey’s coach Vincenzo Montella started with five players at the back.
The initial opportunity was created by the 1988 Euros winners, when Gakpo and Memphis Depay teamed up well before the latter scored a goal.
Wout Weghorst, the team’s saviour against Poland in their opening fixture, made a rapid impact in the Netherlands’ match against Turkey. The Netherlands, led by Koeman, struggled to challenge for the trophy until their 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16 and their weaker self in the first half. Turkey, in their first quarter-final at a major tournament since 2008, almost grabbed a second but was saved well from Kenan Yildiz’s low effort from the edge of the box.
With 20 minutes left, 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. 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.
Wout Weghorst’s 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.
