MUNICH/ LEIPZIG, 2nd July, 2024 (WAM) -- Romania play the Netherlands, and Austria face Turkiye on Tuesday in the round of 16 at the European Championship.
Romania-Netherlands match will kick off at 20.00 local time in Munich (22.00 UAE). The Netherlands have traditionally dominated this fixture but the Dutch also had not lost to Austria since 1990 — until last week. Romania topped its group while a disappointing Netherlands team progressed as one of the four best third-place teams, according to an Associated Press report.
Romania finished top of its group thanks mainly to a 3-0 win against Ukraine in Munich in their opening fixture. They then lost 2-0 against Belgium and drew 1-1 against Slovakia as all four teams in the section finished with four points – a European Championship first.
The Netherlands started its Euro 2024 campaign with a 2-1 comeback win over Poland, but then drew 0-0 against France before losing a thrilling match 3-2 to Austria. That saw Austria top the group and relegated the Dutch to third, below France.
The winner will advance to face Austria or Turkey in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
This is only Romania’s second time in the knockout stage of the European Championship. It reached the quarterfinals in 2000.
Austria vs Turkiye
Kickoff is at 23.00 local time in Leipzig (01.00 Wednesday in UAE). Austria is bidding to go farther than it ever has at a European Championship when it takes on Turkiye in the round of 16. The Austrians surprisingly topped a group ahead of France and the Netherlands and are bullish about progressing to the quarterfinals under German coach Ralf Rangnick. Turkey has shown signs of individual brilliance but is yet to click at Euro 2024.
Turkey reached the semifinals of Euro 2008 and is looking for another deep run in the tournament. But Italian coach Vincenzo Montella’s team struggled to beat 10-man Czech Republic in the last game and was beaten 3-0 by Portugal before that. Turkiye qualified for the knockout stage as runner-up in Group F.
Austria recovered from an opening 1-0 loss to France by beating Poland 3-1 and then the Netherlands 3-2 to top Group D.
Austria and Turkiye played a friendly in Vienna in March, when Austria recorded a 6-1 win thanks to a hat trick from Michael Gregoritsch and goals from Xaver Schlager, Christoph Baumgartner and Maximilian Entrup.
Turkiye defeated Austria 6-0 on aggregate in a playoff to reach the 2002 World Cup, where the team went on to finish third.
Austria lost only one of its 10 qualifying games for Euro 2024. A 3-2 loss to Belgium was the team’s only defeat last year. Rangnick’s team has won 14 of its last 19 matches, losing just two.
Turkiye won six of its 10 games last year, losing two, but it went into Euro 2024 without a win in five matches.
Austria has never been involved in a competitive penalty shootout, while Turkiye defeated Croatia 4-2 in a shootout in the Euro 2008 quarterfinals.
The winner of this game will play the Netherlands or Romania in the quarterfinals on Saturday.