The Netherlands came from behind to battle into the Euro 2024 semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Turkiye as Mert Muldur's own goal proved the difference in Berlin.

Samet Akaydin headed home after 35 minutes at the Olympiastadion, while Arda Guler was denied by the woodwork as Turkiye threatened to cause an upset.

Yet Ronald Koeman's Oranje stood firm, levelling through a thumping Stefan de Vrij header before Muldur – under pressure from Cody Gakpo – turned into his own net after 76 minutes.

Despite a spirited effort, Vincenzo Montella's side were unable to respond at the death as the Netherlands booked a last-four meeting with England in Dortmund for Wednesday.

A tentative opening was devoid of gilt-edged opportunities, though still free flowing with half-chances at either end. Gakpo and Memphis Depay combined well before the latter blazed over with barely two minutes on the clock, while Salih Ozcan hammered adrift of the target from range shortly after.

Yet another Turkiye set-piece situation told 10 minutes before the interval, as was the case with Merih Demiral's double against Austria in the last 16.

Guler was afforded too much space to curl in after a Dutch clearance, delivering perfectly onto the head of Akaydin, who could not miss from the back post for his first Turkiye goal.

The Netherlands managed just four shots in a drab first half, their fewest in the opening 45 minutes of a Euros match since the 2004 semi-finals against Portugal (also four), and Koeman responded by sending on Wout Weghorst.

However, it was Turkiye who almost extended their lead on two occasions after the break. Guler was felled by the covering Nathan Ake and the Real Madrid teenager stepped up to the resulting free-kick, clipping Bart Verbruggen's right-hand post with a fizzing low effort.

Kenan Yildiz then launched another skimming attempt through a sea of Oranje shirts, with Verbruggen unconvincingly parrying away before Weghorst cleared in front of an incoming Kaay Ayhan.

The Netherlands took advantage of that escape five minutes later when Depay worked a short corner towards the centre, where De Vrij nodded downwards past the helpless Mert Gunok.

Dutch joy turned to further elation only six minutes later as Denzel Dumfries slotted an inviting cross towards the back post, where Muldur inadvertently scuffed past Gunok with Gakpo charging in from behind.

Substitute Zeki Celik had a late chance to level but saw his back-post drive cleared off the line, while Verbruggen delivered a remarkable stop to thwart Semih Kilicsoy. Amid another chaotic finale, Turkiye's unused substitute Bertug Yildirim was sent off for a furious reaction towards the referee as the Netherlands scraped into the semi-finals.

Rare own-goal joy for the Dutch

Muldur's error was the first own goal the Netherlands had benefitted from at the European Championships since Portugal's Jorge Andrade put through his own net in 2004.

That unlikely route to their winner snatched a sixth quarter-final progression at major tournaments (World Cup/Euros) in eight attempts for the Oranje.

Yet Koeman's initial savour was an unexpected one as De Vrij equalised with his first goal for Netherlands since March 2015, nine years and 97 days ago against Spain.

This victory also saw the Netherlands progress from just a fourth knockout-stage tie in their last 10 attempts at the European Championships, with England awaiting in the last four.

Semi-final wait goes on for set-piece kings

Turkiye have scored three goals from corners at Euro 2024, the joint-most on record for a team in a single edition – level with Spain in 2020, France in 2016 and Portugal in 2004 – since records began in 1980.

That success from set-piece situations has been integral to the efforts of Montella's side, yet it was not enough to secure their first semi-final appearance at a major tournament since Euro 2008.

Turkiye will still hold their heads high, having impressed as the surprise package of this tournament.

Turkiye will show even more passion after the "unfair" suspension handed to Mehdi Demiral, so says coach Vincenzo Montella.

Demiral scored both of Turkiye's goals in their 2-1 last-16 win over Austria at Euro 2024 on Tuesday.

That victory teed up a quarter-final with the Netherlands, but Turkiye will have to go up against the Dutch without their key defender Demiral.

The centre-back was handed a two-game ban by UEFA on Friday, due to having celebrated with a 'wolf salute', which is associated with a far-right extremist group Grey Wolves.

Montella hit out at that decision in his pre-match press conference.

He said: "We consider it unfair, this ban because it was not a political gesture. It was interpreted as such, but it was just something that was not properly understood.

"But this will not put a break on the Turkish pride. Actually, we will be more passionate, more proud.

"We want to make the country proud, and I'm sure we will all be highly motivated, and this goes for the fans as well.

"Our fans have been extraordinary so far, full of passion. They really have conveyed to us all the passion and love, from the hotel to the stadium, back to the hotel.

"We have always been very correct as well. And that's what I expect from them tomorrow – great support."

Turkiye have reached the quarter-final of a major tournament for the fourth time, and for the first time since Euro 2008, when they reached the semis.

Montella has given six starts to teenagers at Euro 2024 – three for Kenan Yildiz and three for Arda Guler – a joint-record in a single edition of the finals, along with Spain at Euro 2020.

Guler has been one of the stars of the tournament, but Montella knows that his young team must keep a lid on their emotions against the Dutch.

"They must show Turkish pride, they must be close to the team and support us, even when we are having hard times. Now regarding Merhi, we have to manage our emotions before the match, during the match, internal emotions, external emotions," he said.

"We are the youngest team at the tournament, and emotions factor in when you play these matches," Montella added.

"Some players are more experienced, they're used to playing certain matches, they're used to preparing for these matches and they have a bit of an edge.

"So we must be able to manage all of this emotional sphere and transform it into energy and field it because we're younger, and in a way we can have more energy, and this can give us an edge."

The fourth quarter-final at Euro 2024 sees the Netherlands take on Turkiye in what promises to be a thriller in Berlin.

Ronald Koeman's Oranje team clicked into gear in the last 16 as they dispatched Romania 3-0.

Turkiye, meanwhile, beat Austria 2-1 in a thriller, with goalkeeper Mert Gunok making the save of the tournament so far to ensure Vincenzo Montella's team avoided extra time.

If recent meetings between these nations are anything to go by, then anticipate plenty of excitement in Saturday's clash.

That being said, with a place in the last four, and a tie with either Switzerland or England up for grabs, there is plenty on the line.

Here, we use Opta data to preview the clash.

What's expected?

Turkiye dumped out one of the group stage's most impressive teams when they sent Austria packing on Tuesday, but it is the Netherlands who are made favourites by Opta's supercomputer.

The Dutch are given a 58.1% chance of success at the Olympiastadion, while Turkiye's chances are rated at a rather slimmer 19.7%. The likelihood of a draw is 22.5%.

This will be the 15th international meeting between Netherlands and Turkiye.

The Oranje have won six of the previous 14, with Turkiye winning four and the others finishing level. However, this tie is the first fixture between these teams to come at a major tournament.

The last two matches between the Netherlands and Turkiye have seen a combined 13 goals (6.5 per game), with Turkiye winning 4-2 in March 2021 and the Netherlands winning 6-1 in September 2021, both in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

And the data from this tournament also suggests we should expect goals. These sides rank in the top eight teams in the tournament for expected goals (xG), with the Netherlands (6.56) coming in at sixth, and Turkiye (6.11) in eighth.

The Netherlands have had the fifth-most shots (63), while Turkiye have had the sixth-most (57).

Both these teams like to attack, but in defence, the Dutch clearly have the edge, and in fairness, that should be expected with the likes of Stefan de Vrij, Nathan Ake and Virgil van Dijk.

Koeman's team have recorded 3.84 expected goals against (xGA) across their four matches, in contrast to Turkiye's figure of 8.0. Indeed, of the teams remaining in the competition, Turkiye have conceded the most shots (59).

History unkind for the Dutch

The Oranje have progressed from five of their last seven major tournament quarter-finals, although one of the two exceptions was their most recent such tie, when they lost in a penalty shoot-out to Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

This is the Netherlands' first European Championship quarter-final since 2008, when they lost 3-1 to Russia.

And while they are favourites, history has not been wholly kind to them.

The Netherlands have only progressed from three of their last nine knockout ties at the European Championships.

They are looking to win two knockout ties in a single edition of the finals for only the second time, after 1988, when they won the competition.

Koeman will want his team to replicate the level of control they showed against Romania, and midfielder Tijjani Reijnders was crucial to that.

Coming into the quarter-finals, only Joshua Kimmich (14) and Kevin De Bruyne (11) have made more passes that have broken the opposition's defensive line at Euro 2024 than Reijnders (10), who made five against Romania.

Or will it be Turkish delight?

Turkiye are looking to win three consecutive matches at the European Championships for the first time, and only the second time at major tournaments overall, after doing so at the 2002 World Cup to reach the semi-finals.

This is the fourth major tournament quarter-final they have reached, after Euro 2000, the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2008.

They reached the semi-final of the latter two of those, after losing 2-0 to Portugal in 2000.

However, if they are to upset the odds on Saturday, then they will need to keep their heads.

Turkiye have received 18 yellow cards at Euro 2024. In European Championship history, only Czechia in 1996 have been given more cards at a single edition (20 – 19 yellows, one red).

Montella's team have picked up at least two cards in each of their last 24 matches at major tournaments, so that indiscipline is something the Dutch could use to their advantage.

Set-pieces could be crucial for Turkiye, who scored both of their goals from corners in the win over Austria.

That being said, they also conceded from a corner, making that the first match on record (since 1980) at the European Championships to see as many as three goals come via such set-piece situations.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Netherlands - Cody Gakpo

Gakpo's brilliant strike got the ball rolling for the Oranje against Romania, taking him onto three goals for the tournament.

Across the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, the only European player with more goals than Gakpo (six) is Kylian Mbappe (nine).

All six of Gakpo's strikes have come in different matches; the only Dutch players to score in more different games at major tournaments are Dennis Bergkamp (10), Robin van Persie (eight), and Wesley Sneijder (seven).

Turkiye - Arda Guler

Real Madrid youngster Guler has proven his superstar potential in Germany, assisting Merih Demiral's winner.

With that assist, Guler is one of only three teenagers to both score and set up a goal at a single Euros, after Wayne Rooney (four goals, one assist) and Cristiano Ronaldo (two goals, two assists) at Euro 2004.

Turkiye have given six starts to teenagers at Euro 2024 – three for Kenan Yildiz and three for Guler – a joint record in a single edition of the finals, along with Spain at Euro 2020 (six, all for Pedri).

Vincenzo Montella praised Turkiye's soul and belief following their victory over Austria in Leipzig on Tuesday. 

Merih Demiral's double ensured Montella's side progressed to the quarter-finals of a European Championships for the first time since 2008. 

"No one gave up," Montella said. "Everyone gave a bit extra in terms of their soul, and for a head coach, you know that there are matches such as these and you can only win matches such as these if there is a soul within the squad.

"There's that belief, that conviction. I could go on all night, but I saw all of those attributes, and that makes me very proud."

However, the result could have been so much different if it was not for the fingertips of Mert Gunok. 

With the game ticking towards the fourth and final minute of injury time, Christoph Baumgartner saw his header brilliantly tipped behind by the Besiktas goalkeeper. 

The triumph was of huge significance to the Turkiye head coach, having seen his side lose 6-1 to Austria in an international friendly back in March. 

"That was a horrible stain on my career," Montella said. "That was the team that I was really waiting for, to try and get this monkey off my back.

"So I respect Austria, I respect their head coach, I respect their game plan, the tactics that they implemented on the pitch. But we head coaches, just like footballers, are competitors. 

"And I had that real competitive instinct deep within me because I wanted to change this result. It was only a friendly, but there's no such thing as a friendly at international level."

Montella's side face the Netherlands in Berlin this Saturday for a place in the semi-finals and set up a potential tie against England. 

"We've got huge following. There's passion and the love is really visceral back home in Turkey, so I'm very happy to have handed Turks a bit of pride," he said.

"So this responsibility, this love and support, we constantly feel it. But you can only really embrace these dreams if you work hard right from day one. We've done that right from the outset. We'll really celebrate tonight, but as of tomorrow, we get down to work."

Turkiye's Merih Demiral produced a record-breaking opener before his second goal secured a 2-1 victory over Austria at Euro 2024, teeing up a quarter-final meeting with the Netherlands.

Ralf Rangnick's side topped Group D ahead of France and Ronald Koeman's Oranje, but came unstuck in the first knockout round on Tuesday in Leipzig.

Demiral scored after just 57 seconds for the fastest knockout-stage goal in European Championship history, before doubling Turkiye's lead, and his own account, after the interval.

Michael Gregoritsch offered Austria hope with his 66th-minute finish, yet Vincenzo Montella's men – saved by last-gasp Mert Gunok heroics – held on to progress into the last-eight clash in Berlin on Saturday.

Demiral struck first with less than a minute on the clock, smashing in from point-blank range after Patrick Pentz tipped away an Austrian deflection from Arda Guler's right-sided corner.

Christoph Baumgartner almost responded immediately, though, dancing towards the perimeter of the area before whistling a right-footed drive narrowly wide of Gunok's left-hand post.

Another chance fell Baumgartner's way moments later as Demiral failed to clear Romano Schmid's corner, though the stretching Austria forward was unable to get the decisive touch at the back post.

Those missed opportunities would come back to haunt Rangnick's side after 59 minutes when Guler delivered another corner onto the head of Demiral, who powered home from inside the six-yard box.

Substitute Gregoritsch halved the arrears just seven minutes later, steering in after Stefan Posch's flick-on before Baumgartner's header was denied by an expert Gunok stop in stoppage time.

That Gunok save will live long in the memory of Turkish supporters after progressing to the quarter-finals for the first time in 16 years.

Data Debrief: Turkiye living in Demiral dreamland

Demiral is the first Turkish player to score a brace at the Euros since Nihat Kahveci against Chechia in 2008, and the first-ever player for his country to do so in the knockout rounds.

Turkiye now have the earliest goal scorers in knockout rounds at both the European Championships and the World Cup (Hakan Sukur versus Korea Republic in 2002 - 0:11), since records began in 1966.

Austria's undoing came at the hands of a familiar foe, too, as Rangnick's men have now gone winless in their last six meetings with Turkiye, who will now hope to down the Netherlands in four days' time.

Baris Alper Yilmaz said Turkiye kept their promise as a team of reaching the knockout stages of Euro 2024 following their 2-1 win over 10-man Czechia. 

Vincenzo Montella's side left it late to secure second place in Group E, as Cenk Tosun's late strike set up a date with Austria in Leipzig next Tuesday. 

It marked the first time that Turkiye had progressed from the group stage of the European Championships since 2008, with Yilmaz playing a starring role in their triumph. 

"I want to be as useful to the team as possible," substitute Yilmaz said. "It was a really difficult match. We made it to the last 16, we are very happy."

"When we talked with our friends before the camp, our only goal was to get out of the group. We kept our promise and left the group. Now we will proceed step by step."

For Czechia, their winless run at the Euros continued, and have now failed to win a match in a single edition of the tournament for just the second time, after Euro 2016.

Antonin Barak's early dismissal did not help their cause, although Tomas Soucek's equaliser provided the hope of staging an unlikely comeback. 

"It is a disappointment because we all wanted to advance," Soucek said. "We were set up for it. I thought that was enough... and it is a disappointment because we didn't make it.

"I said before the match that I hope it will not happen (the sending-off). It is the third match.... But of course there are many situations that we should have handled as a team."

Cenk Tosun's late strike made sure of Turkiye's date with Austria in the knockout stages of Euro 2024 after finishing second in Group F following their 2-1 win over 10-man Czechia. 

Hakan Calhanoglu's first major tournament goal gave Vincenzo Montella's men the lead after Antonin Barak saw red early on, only for Tomas Soucek to respond for a Czechia side who needed all three points.

But substitute Tosun would have the final say, firing into the bottom corner in the 94th minute, with ugly scenes following the full-time whistle as Tomas Chory also saw red after a feisty encounter in Hamburg.

Czechia finished bottom of the group as Georgia advanced following their 2-0 win over Portugal in Gelsenkirchen. 

The opening exchanges saw both sides start nervously, and perhaps the key moment came in the 19th minute when Barak, who had been shown a yellow card nine minutes earlier, was given his marching orders after a late challenge on Salih Ozcan. 

Despite Turkiye's man advantage, Czechia's rearguard action restricted them to very little, with the first half ending with more bookings than shots on target. 

However, Montella's side came out firing after the break, with their fast start rewarded as Calhanoglu rifled home moments after seeing Kenan Yildiz denied by Jindrich Stanek. 

That joy was short-lived as Soucek fired Czechia level, with Mert Gunok's appeals for a foul by Chory in the build-up dismissed following a VAR review.

Turkiye were still on course for the last 16 with a draw, though, and Tosun made sure after his introduction from the bench, smashing beyond substitute goalkeeper Matej Kovar in the closing seconds.

Data Debrief: Tosun sparks Turkish delight in Hamburg

Tosun, sent on with 15 minutes to play, had only four touches, but the telling one in stoppage time put the final stamp on Turkiye's passage to the last 16.

The win for Turkiye saw them progress from the group stage at the Euros for the first time since 2008, having previously been eliminated in the 2016 and 2020 editions.

Vincenzo Montella defended his decision to bench Arda Guler against Portugal, insisting the teenager "wasn't fit to play" in Turkiye's 3-0 defeat.

Eyebrows were raised as Guler was forced to settle for a place on the bench, while only appearing for the final 20 minutes of his nation's loss in Dortmund, despite making such a positive impact in their opener against Georgia.

The Real Madrid prodigy scored a sublime long-range effort in the 3-1 victory, becoming the youngest player to find the net on his European Championship debut in the process.

The 19-year-old only played 10 times in LaLiga last season, with Montella believing a lack of competitive action is a concern for his players.

"Arda wasn't fit to play," the Turkiye head coach said. "I can say clearly he could not play more than 30 minutes without increasing the risk.

"There was also a temptation of not putting him 20 minutes from the end, but I finally gave in because good players must play, in my opinion.

"Because we often tend to forget that most of our footballers are not used to playing with continuity in their clubs, and I am talking about one game a week. When you play once every four days, it's another sport. You need to be physically fit, you need to be prepared.

"Arda is a great, smart guy. He is very passionate about his country, is proud of his country. But even though he knew that he was risking an injury by playing, he wanted to be on the pitch."

Despite that Portugal defeat, Turkiye are second in Group F with three points, and a draw from their final game against Czechia would be enough to secure their place in the last 16.

Roberto Martinez praised Portugal's resilience in their Euro 2024 opener against Czechia, and believes that will be key to beating a confident Turkiye side. 

For both, it was their rising stars who took centre stage during matchday one in Group F, as substitute Francisco Conceicao spared Selecao's blushes with an injury-time winner against Ivan Hasek's side. 

Earlier that day, it was Real Madrid's Arda Guler who helped Turkiye beat a tough Georgia display, scoring an exceptional goal to earn his nation their first opening day win at the tournament at the sixth attempt. 

Portugal came from a goal behind to ensure their victory, but decisions will be made on who starts up front, with Cristiano Ronaldo failing to score on his landmark European Championship appearance. 

The veteran forward has never scored against Turkey, despite playing three matches against them. Only against Albania has he ever played more matches (four) without finding the back of the net for his country. 

Martinez's side won a game from a losing position for the first time under his stewardship and is hopeful his squad can show the same personality against Turkiye in Dortmund.

"Today it's not about assessing this game from the technical or tactical point of view," said the head coach.

"We won because we showed resilience, willpower and belief. It's the first time we've come from behind to win [under my tenure]. We believed, we showed incredible personality.

"It's a game where we had 13 corners; the Czech Republic had none. If we scored early we could have won by three or four goals. The atmosphere was incredible. Our fans did not deserve to lose this game.

"Nuno Mendes in a back three? He has the physical attributes to play in a three-man defence. It's important to have symmetry in the middle block. The Czech Republic are a physical team. The important thing is not the starting eleven, but how the game ends. We showed we had prepared well."

Meanwhile, Turkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella celebrated his 50th birthday in style at the Westfalenstadion, 

While the Italian was keen to enjoy the moment of Turkiye's landmark success, his attention quickly turned to the task of facing Portugal, a side they have only won two of their nine matches against (L7), with their last triumph coming in an international friendly in 2012. 

"Our dreams were very much focused on this match," Montella told reporters following that game. "We managed to win [our first game of the tournament] for the first time, so there will be a lot of first times."

A victory would secure qualification to the knockout stages of the competition for Montella's side, and when asked about his chances against the Selcao's star-studded line-up he said: "Then more dreams will emerge."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Turkiye - Hakan Calhanoglu

While the praise for Turkiye's young stars was warranted, it overshadowed the impressive display of Calhanoglu at the heart of their midfield against Georgia.

The Inter man completed 88 passes against Georgia last time out, the most by a Türkiye player in a European Championship game, with a passing accuracy of 92.6 per cent. 

Portugal – Vitinha

Another midfield maestro had yet another impressive display in their Group F opener, with Vitinha completing more passes under high-intensity pressure (59) than any other player in the opening round of games at Euro 2024.

Only Toni Kroos (30) made more line-breaking passes than the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder on MD1 (21). 

MATCH PREDICTION – PORTUGAL WIN

While Selecao were not at their dazzling best in their Group F opener, they ultimately found a way to win, and that is what title-winning teams always manage to do. 

And Portugal has often got the better of their opponents when they have squared off at the European Championships. Portugal have won all three of their previous encounters in the tournament, without conceding a single goal.

Martinez's side are also the only team to reach the knockout stages of the Euros at each of the last seven editions, having only lost one of their last nine group stage games at the tournament (W4 D4), with that defeat coming against Germany in 2021. 

But Turkiye proved in their opener against Georgia they are not here just to take part, and will be looking to win their first two games at a major tournament for the first time in their history. 

Montella will be keen to continue his 50th birthday celebrations when he returns to Dortmund on Saturday, with the possibility of equalling their most victories in a single edition of the European Championship (two in 2008). They have only managed more at a major tournament in the 2002 World Cup (four).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Turkiye - 17.8%

Draw - 20.3%

Portugal - 62%

Mario Balotelli believes he can earn a dramatic Italy recall in time for the World Cup play-offs, according to his club boss Vincenzo Montella.

The former Inter, Manchester City and Liverpool striker scored 14 goals in 36 games for the Azzurri before his international career ground to a halt in 2018.

Despite his long-time ally Roberto Mancini being head coach of the Azzurri, there has been little hint of a return to Italy duty since Mancini gave him three caps early in his reign.

Those three appearances were Balotelli's first for Italy since the 2014 World Cup, and he has not been called into a squad since September 2018, with his club career taking him in the meantime from Nice onwards to Marseille, Brescia, Monza and currently Adana Demirspor in Turkey.

Balotelli has scored five Super Lig goals this season for a team who sit eighth in the table after 16 games.

Former Roma frontman Montella, who also played for Italy, has floated the idea that there could yet be another chapter in the story of Balotelli's Azzurri career.

"Balotelli has extraordinary technical qualities. He is a good guy who sometimes goes off a little. But I found him very motivated, and I believe that in his career he has never been as concentrated as this year with us," Montella told Italia 1's Tiki Taka programme.

"He is growing a lot, it is a pleasure to coach him. He has the obsession to return to the national team. He is motivated, he believes in it, he knows he has to work hard, but he knows he has three months to convince Mancini that he knows everything about him, his strengths and weaknesses."

Italy won Euro 2020 just five months ago but face a battle to get to the World Cup, knowing they must beat North Macedonia on March 24 to set up a decider against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal or Turkey.

This is because, despite remaining unbeaten in qualifying so far, they finished only second to Switzerland in the group stage. Italy missed out on the 2018 World Cup, so to do so for a second successive time would be a major blow.

Montella said: "Mancini has done an extraordinary job since the beginning of his Azzurri adventure and winning the European Championship was a great thing. Getting to the World Cup will be difficult but Italy, in difficulties, always manage to bring out the best of its potential. I wish and hope that we will be able to qualify."