EURO 2024 | Romania 0-3 Netherlands: Dutch delight

Denzel Dumfries and Tijjani Reijnders are through to the EURO 2024 quarter-finals after the Netherlands beat Romania 3-0, but could’ve scored far more.

They will be up against either Turkey or Austria.

The Dutch squeezed through in third place after a 3-2 defeat to Austria and had Inter full-back Dumfries starting with Milan midfielder Reijnders. Romania were top of a group that finished with all teams on four points, largely thanks to a 3-0 victory over Ukraine. Nicusor Bancu was suspended, but Razvan Marin of Empoli, Pisa’s Marius Marin and Parma striker Dennis Man all represented Italian football.

Although it was a very aggressive start from Romania, the Netherlands took the lead with Cody Gakpo surprising the goalkeeper at the near post with a low strike.

Man turned wide under pressure from 12 yards on a pull-back and ex-Genoa defender Radu Dragusin charged down a Reijnders effort, but on the resulting corner Inter defender Stefan de Vrij turned a free header wide.

Dumfries sprung the offside trap and rolled across for the Memphis Depay tap-in, denied by a desperate and extremely risky Dragusin interception.

Romania lost Vasile Mogos after a horrible accidental collision with Dumfries, Xavi Simons wasted after the Inter full-back stole it back at the by-line and Bogdan Racovitan threw himself in the way of a Reijnders solo run.

The Netherlands couldn’t finish off their chances, Depay denied from close range by a combination of last-ditch Andrei Ratiu tackle and Racovitan goal-line clearance, then Virgil van Dijk’s header clipping the outside of the post on a corner.

Cody Gakpo forced a great save, then scored when he had wandered offside, while Depay drilled a free kick under the wall and inches wide.

Joey Veerman also skimmed the woodwork, but eventually the siege paid off when Gakpo just about kept the ball in at the by-line for a Donyell Malen tap-in.

With Romania giving it their all in stoppages for at least a consolation, they instead conceded the third with a Malen counter-attack sparked by Xavi Simons.