Austria and Türkiye faced off in a thrilling EURO2024 round-of-16 match in Leipzig, delivering one of the most exciting games of the tournament so far.
Merih Demiral’s brace sent his side past an Austria team who, until last night, seemed to have a good chance of a deep run into the tournament. Michael Gregoritsch’s goal wasn’t enough to buy Austria extra time as Türkiye progressed to set up a quarterfinal on Saturday against the Netherlands.
Here are five key takeaways from Türkiye’s dramatic victory.
Demiral provides a historic goal threat
Embed from Getty ImagesMerih Demiral made history by scoring the quickest knockout-stage goal in European Championship history, finding the net just 57 seconds into the match. This early strike set the tone for Türkiye, who capitalised on Austria’s shaky start. Demiral wasn’t done, though; he doubled Türkiye’s lead just before the hour mark with a powerful header from another Arda Güler corner. His presence in both penalty areas was crucial, and his goals were celebrated wildly by the fervent Turkish supporters and the bench. The Saudi Pro League defender should be on Ronald Koeman’s radar as a man to watch out for on Saturday.
Günok is a force between the sticks
Mert Günok’s performance in goal was nothing short of heroic. With Türkiye clinging to a narrow lead, Günok made a series of crucial saves to deny Austria an equaliser. His most significant effort came in stoppage time, when he somehow kept out Christoph Baumgartner’s close-range header. This save ensured Türkiye’s progression to the quarter-finals and drew comparisons to Gordon Banks’ iconic save against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup. Günok’s teammates mobbed him at the final whistle, recognising his pivotal role in their victory; the Netherlands will need to create plenty of chances to squeeze goals past him on Saturday.
Austria’s exit shows resilience isn’t enough without a bit of luck
Embed from Getty ImagesAustria showed great resilience in the second half after a lacklustre first 45 minutes where they failed to register a shot on target. The introduction of Michael Gregoritsch and Alexander Prass at half-time sparked a revival, and Austria pulled a goal back through Gregoritsch, who finished neatly at the far post. Despite their relentless pressure and numerous crosses into the box, Austria couldn’t find a way past Günok again. Their exit is a surprise given their impressive group stage performances, but they can hold their heads high for their spirited comeback attempt – as Ralf Rangnick remarked in their post-match conference, one thing they were mising was simply a little luck to get them over the line.
Montella demonstrates tactical brilliance
Türkiye manager Vincenzo Montella’s tactical approach to this match was spot on. His decision to focus on set pieces paid dividends, with both of Demiral’s goals coming from corners. Montella also managed to outmanoeuvre Austria’s high-intensity play, ensuring his team maintained a solid defensive structure while being effective on the counter-attack. The performance of young talents like Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız was testament to Montella’s ability to blend experience with youth, providing a balanced and dynamic team that could adapt to different phases of the game.
Türkiye could be the tournament underdogs (no, they really could this time!)
Embed from Getty ImagesTürkiye’s victory marks their first appearance in a European Championship quarter-final since 2008. The team has been backed by passionate support throughout the tournament, and this win is a testament to their collective spirit and determination. The journey to the quarter-finals has seen them grow in confidence and capability, setting up an exciting clash against the Netherlands. In 2021 they were widely touted as the competition’s dark horses but ended up crashing out of the group stages without a single point. This time, pundits were much slower to raise their names as contenders for a deep run – but with players like Demiral and Günok stepping up in crucial moments, Türkiye has shown they have the resilience and talent to go even further in the competition.
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