Holland 2 Turkey 1: Dutch set up huge semi-final clash with England as own goal caps comeback win
WOUT Weghorst sparked a turnaround to remember as Holland set up a semi-final with England in Dortmund on Wednesday.
Weghorst will always be remembered by Manchester United fans as an unmitigated flop during his loan spell at Old Trafford.
But the striker – still officially a Burnley player despite not playing for the Turf Moor side in January 2022 – has become Holland’s supersub.
It was his double off the bench that forced World Cup extra-time against Argentina in Qatar, while he scored the last gasp winner against Poland in their opener here in Germany.
And while it was defender Stefan de Vrij and an unfortunate own goal from Mert Muldur that transformed this game in the space of six second half minutes, Weghorst’s introduction as the spearhead of a team that had looked so blunt either side of Samet Akaydin’s first half header proved the turning point.
And so it will be the Dutch who stand between England and the final.
A side with quality but also weaknesses. A battle of equals indeed.
In the end, the suspensions that had cost Vincenzo Montella the services of first choice midfield duo Salih Ozkan and Ismail Yuksek as well as “grey wolf” defender Merih Demiral did prove decisive.
Holland were certainly more cohesive in the early stages.
Memphis set the tone as he drove into the five man Turkish back line in the first minute only to flash over the top from 16 yards.
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It was a win by the narrowest of margins but this was overall our best performance of Euro 2024.
If we can build on the progress we made, especially in the first half, we could WIN the tournament.
It was not a complete display. There were nervy moments and waiting so long to make changes could have cost us.
But we saw what a good team England can be if they do the right things and put players in the right positions.
The first half was England’s best since the first 45 against Serbia. Maybe even better.
One of the keys to that was our press and the effect it had on Granit Xhaka.
For the first time in four games we were pressing high, winning the ball back in better areas and putting Switzerland on the back foot.
In previous matches, our forwards were pressing but the gaps between our lines were too big.
That was leaving huge gaps for Declan Rice and whoever was partnering him to cover.
This time there was better structure and organisation.
There seemed to be more of a plan for when to drop into a block and when to jump out to press.
Now England have the opportunity to build momentum and show why they can win this tournament.
Read all of SunSport columnist Jack’s Euro 2024 articles.
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There were also off-target efforts from Cody Gakpo – although the flag then went up – and Xavi Simons.
But that was where it stopped as Turkey, with Arda Guler on the right rather than through the middle, began to settle, midfielder Salih Ozkan chancing his arm from distance.
Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz was proving himself a handful for Virgil van Dijk with his power and movement.
And Turkey carved out a real chance midway through the half.
Skipper Hakan Calhanoglu floated a free-kick into the danger zone which was met by a prod over the bar from defender Abdulkerim Bardakci, who had worked himself free.
Turkey’s confidence was growing by the minute and that pressure told ten minutes before the break.
Holland only cleared a left wing corner by Calhanoglu as far as Guler, who had time to measure a perfect ball to the back post.
Three Turkish players were queueing up to take advantage and it was Akaydin who seized the moment, planting an unstoppable close-range header off the underside of the bar and past the exposed Bart Verbruggen.
He wheeled away, kissing the Turkish star and crescent on his shirt. Montella was even more frenzied on the sidelines.
If you thought it was loud earlier, the sound was now deafening, a wall of noise directed at the Dutch, roars when Turkey won the ball back.
Koeman was frustrated. His team had lost their way, badly.
It was crying out for something – a change, a moment of inspiration, some leadership. Koeman sat, impassively. Waiting. Hoping.
And, at the interval, turning to Wout Weghorst as he reverted to two in the middle and Memphis dropping.
The balance of the game altered yet Turkey – and Guler – were four inches of woodwork away from doubling their lead in the 53rd minute.
Nathan Ake was rightly booked for wiping out the Real Madrid tyro as he raced onto Yilmaz’ flick – only the proximity of De Vrij saved him from a red card.
But Guler stepped up, drove left-footed around the wall and Verbruggen from 30 yards, only for his scudding effort to flick the outside of the upright.
That ear-worm chant in honour of the youngster – a constant backdrop to every Turkey match here – reverberated through the Olympic Stadium.
Weghorst then made a vital contribution at the other end, just getting in front of Yilmaz after Verbruggen could not hold Kenan Yildiz’ shot.
And the value became even greater as Holland levelled with 20 to go.
Wieghorst’s volley was shovelled behind by Mert Gunok but Turkey were not alert to the short corner that was returned to Memphis, whose ball in was headed down and past the keeper by De Vrij.
And within six minutes the turnaround was complete.
Weghorst won an aerial battle outside the box, Simons fed Denzel Dumfries, who fizzed across and, as Gakpo and Muldur tangled, the Turkish defender unwittingly got the crucial touch to divert into his own net, despite the Liverpool man being given the initial credit.
Turkey came again, a desperate clearance from in front of their own goal by Spurs’ Micky van der Van and De Vrij keeping them ahead before Verbruggen denied substitute Semih Kilicsoy.