On Saturday evening at Berlin's iconic Olympiastadion, the Netherlands and Turkey will battle for a spot in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. The winner will face either Switzerland or England in the next round. Both teams are hopeful of advancing after their contrasting performances in the previous round.
The Netherlands have had an inconsistent start to their European Championship campaign but have managed to secure a place in the quarter-finals. Ronald Koeman's team, which finished third in Group D, is aiming for the Henri Delaunay trophy, now just three wins away.
Their journey included a win over Poland, a draw with France, and a 3-2 loss to Austria. In the last-16, they comfortably defeated Romania 3-0, with Cody Gakpo scoreng in the 20th minute and Donyell Malen adding two more goals in the second half.
Koeman, who was part of the Netherlands' 1988 European Championship-winning team, is looking to repeat that success as a coach. With players like Xavi Simons and Gakpo performing well, Dutch fans are starting to dream big. However, they will face a tough challenge against Turkey, who have proven their resilience.
Turkey made a strong start to their last-16 match against Austria, scoring the fastest knockout round goal in European Championship history. Despite Merih Demiral's two goals, Austria came close to forcing extra time, but Turkey's goalkeeper Mert Gunok made a miraculous save to secure their victory.
Turkey, missing captain Hakan Calhanoglu due to suspension, relied on young talents like Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz. However, coach Vincenzo Montella faces further suspension challenges and players at risk of missing the semi-finals due to bookings.
Turkey and the Netherlands met twice during the Qatar 2022 qualifiers, with each team winning on home soil. To reach the Euro 2024 semi-finals for only the second time in their history, Turkey must overcome the Netherlands once again.
After a thrilling start to their campaign, including a 3-1 win over Georgia, a loss to Portugal, and a victory over the Czech Republic, Turkey promises another exciting match this weekend in Leipzig.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Following the team's impressive win over Romania, Ronald Koeman is expected to stick with a similar lineup for Saturday night, featuring Bart Verbruggen in goal and Virgil van Dijk as captain at center-back.With Steven Bergwijn's injury forcing him off at halftime, Jeremie Frimpong or Donyell Malen—who made a significant impact as a substitute—might team up with Denzel Dumfries on the right wing.
Up front, Cody Gakpo, who has scored three goals in four Euro 2024 matches, and Memphis Depay, who is just four goals shy of Robin van Persie's all-time Netherlands record of 50, are set to start.
For Turkey, influential captain Hakan Calhanoglu returns, but they will miss midfielders Orkun Kokcu and Ismail Yuksek due to suspension. Merih Demiral, Tuesday's hero, might face UEFA sanctions for his controversial celebrations, with Samet Akaydin ready to step in if needed.
Nineteen-year-olds Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler are among eight players at risk of missing a potential semi-final, but coach Vincenzo Montella is focused on the upcoming crucial match.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Netherlands possible starting lineup:Verbruggen; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake; Schouten, Reijnders; Malen, Simons, Gakpo; Depay
Turkey possible starting lineup:
Gunok; Muldur, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Ayhan, Yokuslu; Yildiz, Calhanoglu, Yilmaz; Guler
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Netherlands 2-1 Turkey
Turkey will have strong support from fans of Turkish heritage in Germany, but the Netherlands seem to be hitting their stride and might narrowly win this close match in the capital.
