EM goalkeeper Günok
“That was one of the best parades I have ever seen live,” admits the opponent
Status: 01:28 am | Reading time: 2 minutes
Lightning start with a ping-pong goal – the Turkish opening goal in video
Turkey took the lead against Austria in the European Championship round of 16 after just 57 seconds. Demiral scored from a corner to make it 1-0 and put them in the quarter-finals. Watch the goal in the video.
With a monster save, goalkeeper Günok secured the victory for the Turks in injury time – in the round of 16 of the European Championship, against Austria, who were still the secret title contenders before the game. Afterwards, even the opponents paid him respect.
The evening was more than eventful, so let’s start with the bare facts: Turkey moved into the quarter-finals of the European Football Championship. The team beat Austria 2-1 (1-0) in Leipzig on Tuesday evening and will now face the Netherlands in the next round on Saturday, who had previously beaten Romania 3-0.
Merih Demiral scored after just 57 seconds to give the Turks the lead, and after 59 minutes he increased the lead to 2-0. The 2-1 goal by Austrian striker Michael Gregoritsch (66th) was not enough for coach Ralf Rangnick’s team to turn things around.
But perhaps everything would have turned out very differently if Turkish goalkeeper Mert Günok had not pulled off an incredible save in injury time. He reflexively deflected a header from Christoph Baumgartner around the right post of his goal – thus securing his team’s narrow victory (90.+5).
And he flies and flies and flies: Mert Günok fends off Christoph Baumgartner’s header, …
Source: REUTERS
… then the Turks let their emotions run free
Quelle: Getty Images/Dan Mullan
“That was one of the best saves I’ve ever seen live,” said Gregoritsch, his opponent, after the game. “It was unbelievable how he held onto the ball.”
“A wonderful victory”
The keeper, who was celebrated alongside Demiral, who scored twice, was euphoric afterwards. “We are super happy, it was a wonderful victory,” said Günok. “I would like to thank all the fans. I think that our journey here is quite long.”
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Demiral, who scored twice and scored the earliest goal ever in the knockout rounds of a European football championship with his goal after 57 seconds, also looked ahead after the final whistle: “I’m obviously super happy, we suffered for 90 minutes, but we deserved it,” he said. “We worked incredibly hard, so I hope we can do the same in the next game.”
This will take the Turks to Berlin on Saturday, where they will face the Netherlands at 9 p.m. in the Olympic Stadium. With a goal-scoring Demiral and a great supporter like Günok, the Turks should have a good chance of reaching the semi-finals.
