Turkey beat Austria in Leipzig (2-0) on Tuesday in the round of 16 of Euro 2024. Arda Gûler (an assist) and Merih Demiral (two goals) were the main architects of this success. The Turks will face the Netherlands in the next round.
Published on: 02/07/2024 – 22:53
3 mn
The last eighth-final of Euro 2024 ended in Leipzig on Tuesday evening, July 2, with a victory for Turkey against Austria (2-1). The Turks will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Rarely has a match started so exciting in this Euro! No observation phase, the Austrians and the Turks are clearly not here to mess around. An incoming corner from Arda Güler nearly hits the target right from the start, Patrick Pentz pushes the ball into the feet of Merih Demiral who doesn’t need to be asked twice to open the scoring (1-0, 1st).
The following minutes are all Austrian action, but Christoph Baumgartner strikes just wide (3rd) then misses the unmissable, receiving a corner a few dozen centimetres from the Turkish goal line (5th). Philipp Lienhart is, for his part, receiving a corner: unmarked, he nevertheless does not manage to get his header on target (7th).
Also read: Find the calendar for the final phase
The high intensity at the start of the match gradually gave way to a less rhythmic encounter. Arda Güler tried to score the Euro goal to revive the atmosphere, but his lob from the centre circle ended up far from the target (19th). Baris Alper Yilmaz tried a successful number – a small bridge – on his right side but his cross to the far post for Kenan Yildiz lacked precision (26th). Finally, Christoph Baumgartner cut a cross that went just past Fehmi Mert Günok’s post (45th + 1). That’s it for the first act.
Demiral infernal, Gregoritsch relance le suspense
Austria has not said its last word but lacks precision in the final move. Thus, Marko Arnautovic is ideally served in the last meters of the opponent but comes up against Fehmi Mert Günok, who comes out well at his feet (51st). Then Stefan Posch finds the foot of a Turkish defender on the way to his shot (54th).
The Austrians have chances to get back into the game, and they will be kicking themselves for not having converted them. On the Turkish side, they take the same chances and start again: Arda Güler takes a corner, and Merih Demiral concludes this time with a header at the near post (2-0, 59th). Double in this match for the Turkish defender.
The torrential rain is falling on Leipzig, the Austrian ship has already taken on water. But it has not yet sunk: Michael Gregoritsch reduces the score, forgotten at the far post on a corner that keeps Austria afloat (2-1, 66th). In the process, his header ends up in the gloves of Fehmi Mert Günok (68th).
The Turkish defense hunkered down at the end of the match and slipped through the net of the opponent’s attempts to equalize. United, the Turks resisted and even came close to putting the nail in the coffin on this counterattack by Baris Alper Yilmaz (90th + 4). In the process, Fehmi Mert Günok made the decisive save against Christoph Baumgartner (90th + 5). The deliverance came after the last second of added time.
