In the blink of an eye, the Euro 2024 last-16 round is over after Tuesday wrapped up this stage of the competition.
The Netherlands are in the quarter-finals after producing arguably their best performance in Germany, sweeping Group E winners Romania aside with ease.
Turkiye overcame Group D winners Austria in Leipzig and will meet Ronald Koeman's side in the last eight, with the winner potentially facing England in the semi-finals.
After another action-packed day of knockout football, we take a deep dive into the best statistics from the day, using Opta numbers.
Romania 0-3 Netherlands: Malen, Gakpo and Simons star for Oranje
The Netherlands eased past Romania 3-0 to banish demons of previous years by progressing through a European Championship knockout game for the first time since their 2004 penalty shoot-out win over Sweden.
Excluding shoot-out victories, this convincing victory in Munich – inspired by Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen – was the Dutch's first win in the Euros knockout stages since beating Yugoslavia 6-1 in 2000.
Gakpo scored three goals at the 2022 World Cup and has three so far at this tournament after his fine first-half finish, becoming just the third Dutch player to score 3+ goals at two different major tournaments, along with Johnny Rep (1974 and 1978 World Cups) and Dennis Bergkamp (Euro 1992, World Cups in 1994 and 1998).
In fact, across those last two major international tournaments, only France's Kylian Mbappe (nine goals in 10 games) can better Gakpo's six-strike tally in nine appearances among European players.
The Liverpool man played an instrumental part in the Netherlands' second goal, too, setting up Malen, who added another late on to become the first player to score twice in a single game at Euro 2024.
Malen is also the first substitute to score a brace at the Euros since Savo Milosevic in 2000 for Yugoslavia against Slovenia, but the role of those two forwards should not take away from Xavi Simons' credit.
Simons set up Gakpo's opener, as well as assisting against Austria in Group D, and is the youngest player (21 years, 72 days) to assist in consecutive Euros appearances since Switzerland's Eren Derdiyok at Euro 2008 (20 years, 3 days).
That trio were integral as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals in consecutive major tournaments for the first time since doing so at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
In stark contrast, Romania have now won just two out of 20 matches at the European Championships (D6 L12), with their 10% win ratio the lowest of any nation to play 10+ games in the competition.
Austria 1-2 Turkiye: Record-breaking Demiral secures quarter-final berth
Merih Demiral will be the toast of Turkiye after his double, including a record-breaking opener, powered his side to a 2-1 win over Austria and into the European Championships last eight for the third time.
Demiral needed just 57 seconds to open the scoring, the fastest goal in Euros knockout history and the second earliest in the entire competition ever, to help the Crescent Stars grab another world record.
Turkiye now boast the fastest knockout goal at the Euros, as well as at FIFA's top event (since records began in 1966), with Hakan Sukur also netting after 11 seconds against Korea Republic at the 2002 World Cup.
Yet Demiral was not done there, adding another after the interval to become the first defender to score twice in a game at a major tournament since John Stones for England versus Panama at the 2018 World Cup.
He is also the first player in his position to manage two goals in a knockout-stage game since France's Lilian Thuram against Croatia in the 1998 World Cup semi-finals.
Ralf Rangnick's side halved the arrears through Michael Gregoritsch, who has scored four goals in two appearances against Turkiye, with his other 12 goals for his nation coming against 12 different opponents.
That goal was not enough for Austria but, they achieved a bizarre feat in the process, with this the first match on record (since 1980) at the European Championship to see as many as three goals come via set-pieces.
Austria will look back with regret after consecutive last-16 exits at the Euros, having also accumulated the most expected goals (2.7) by a team that failed to progress from a Euros knockout stage tie, since France against Switzerland in the Euro 2020 round of 16 (3.1).
Turkiye, by contrast, will be looking to the future after they became the second team in the competition's history to name two teenagers (Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler) in their starting XI for a knockout stage game, following Hungary in 1964 against Denmark.
Montego Bay United dominate Racing United to reclaim JPL summit
Montego Bay United delivered an emphatic 4-0 victory over Racing United at Ferdie Neita Park on Sunday, surging back to the top of the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) table. The St. James-based team showcased their attacking prowess, scoring twice in each half to secure their sixth win in nine matches.
First-half goals from Brian Brown in the 36th minute and Shaniel Thomas in the 40th gave Montego Bay a comfortable lead at the break. Despite Racing United's attempts to rally in the second half, MoBay's defense held firm, and they capitalized on late opportunities with strikes from Tyrone Harrison (90+1) and Johan Weatherley (90+4) to seal the dominant win.
The victory moved Montego Bay United to 20 points, level with Waterhouse FC, who climbed to second place with a 2-0 win over Humble Lion in Sunday’s late game. Portmore United slipped to third with 19 points, while Arnett Gardens sit fourth on 18 points following their 1-0 victory over Portmore earlier in the day.
JPL Results – Sunday
Racing United 0-4 Montego Bay United
Vere Phoenix 2-2 Tivoli Gardens
Harbour View 0-0 Cavalier
Portmore United 0-1 Arnett Gardens
Waterhouse 2-0 Humble Lion
Montego Bay United’s clinical performance not only highlighted their championship aspirations but also sent a message to their rivals as the competition for the top spots intensifies. With Waterhouse keeping pace and Portmore and Arnett close behind, the race for JPL supremacy is heating up.
Fans can expect more fireworks as the league approaches its midway point.
Carsley proud of England style shift ahead of Tuchel taking charge
Lee Carsley is proud of the way England's players adapted to a more progressive style during his spell as interim coach, ahead of Thomas Tuchel taking the reins.
England trounced the Republic of Ireland 5-0 on Sunday in their final game before Tuchel takes charge in January, recording their fifth win in six matches under Carsley.
Carsley has been credited with instilling a high-pressing, possession-based style during a successful stint as England Under-21 boss, having overseen the team's European Championship triumph last year.
In their six Nations League matches under Carsley, England's senior side averaged a 69.3% possession share and 624.8 successful passes per match, as well as 16 shots and 1.95 expected goals (xG).
At Euro 2024, their final tournament under Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions averaged 55.4% possession, 536 passes, 10.8 shots and 0.88 xG per match as they finished as runners-up to Spain.
Speaking after his final game at the helm, Carsley hailed England's players for adapting to a new approach seamlessly.
"I definitely felt like I have been out of my comfort zone but not beyond my capabilities," Carsley said. "I never felt at any point I was drowning or I was struggling.
"I've taken the confidence that myself and the rest of the staff will be okay. I think we have got stronger as the windows have gone on.
"You are always learning a lot about yourself when you're in a position you are not used to. I think the most pleasing thing is the younger players coming through.
"We have tried change things. We have tried to adapt and move on the style, the way that we play, the control, the amount of possession we have, the amount of chances we create.
"There has been no resistance to that. If anything, they have taken that on. I think it helps that they have seen the 21s and the way that the 21s have tried to control and score goals."
England's victory was their biggest by a manager in their final match in charge since November 1993, when San Marino were beaten 7-1 in Graham Taylor's last game.
Despite achieving his goal of winning automatic promotion back to League A of the Nations League, Carsley admitted to having some regrets over his only defeat at the helm – a 2-1 loss to Greece at Wembley last month.
"Even though we won five of the six, I straight away go back to that game we should have won at Wembley," Carsley added.
"It's definitely a lonely place in that dugout when you're not winning at Wembley. We’ll keep improving and keeping pushing the players and ourselves."
Italy 'on the right track' despite France defeat – Spalletti
Luciano Spalletti believes Italy are "on the right track" despite the Azzurri ending their Nations League campaign with a 3-1 defeat to France on Sunday.
Adrien Rabiot scored twice and Guglielmo Vicario put through his own net as Les Bleus triumphed at San Siro, with all three goals coming from Lucas Digne set-pieces.
Italy had already confirmed a top-two finish by beating Belgium 1-0 three days earlier, however, so they will join France in the quarter-finals next March.
Despite the result, there were plenty of positives for Spalletti to take from Italy's performance, as his team enjoyed more possession (53.8%), shots (10 to six), expected goals (0.59 xG to 0.39) and touches in the opposition box (20 to eight) than their opponents.
"I believe that we are on the right track, I saw many things we sought in the correct way, but we were influenced by the emotion of the match, we forced the match," he said.
"In the second half the game was managed well, we often had the ball but we have to be cleaner with our ball management.
"The analysis is certainly positive, it is clear that there is something to review. When we return, the group will do this."
Italy were undone by some excellent dead-ball taking from Aston Villa full-back Digne, though, and Spalletti knows they must be more competitive on a physical level in the future.
"The boys wanted to go and challenge the opponent, there you spend energy. The third set-piece created problems for us, then we tried to react to score again, but they are physical," he said.
"Now we will review the situations well, they are one of the strongest teams there is from a physical point of view."
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