Post-Match Report
Malen bags brace – Özcan wins Borussia battle
After the Netherlands – including BVB attacking player Donyell Malen – had to settle for a third-place finish in Group D behind Austria and France, the team of Oranje coach Ronald Koeman went head-to-head with Romania in Munich in the round of 16 on Tuesday. Unlike in the final group game against Austria (3-2 defeat), Malen started the match among the substitutes.
Thanks to a goal by Cody Gakpo in the 20th minute, the Dutch team led 1-0 at the break. Coach Koeman brought on Malen at the start of the second period in order to inject more tempo into the game. The Dortmund player came on in place of Steven Bergwijn. The Netherlands spurned several opportunities in the period that followed, missing out on the chance to seal the victory prematurely. It was not until the 83rd minute that Malen slotted the ball home from several metres out to make it 2-0 following outstanding work by Gakpo.
In the final minute of stoppage time, Borussia's No. 21 then found himself on the ball once again during a counter-attack, cut inside from the left and fired the ball sharply inside the near post from 16 metres out – clinching the result and completing his first brace for the national team. The victory against Romania means that the Oranje will face Türkiye at the Olympiastadion in Berlin at 21:00 CEST next Saturday (6 July).
The trip to the capital will see Malen face his team-mate Salih Özcan, who eliminated Austria and Marcel Sabitzer from the tournament on Tuesday evening. Özcan initially had to watch the fast-paced encounter from the bench, while Marcel Sabitzer started the match for the Austrians – as has been the case for every game.
Türkiye defender Merih Demiral put his country in front with only 57 seconds on the clock. Salih Özcan was substituted on in place of Ismail Yüksek around an hour into what was a thrilling football match (58). Only a matter of seconds later, Demiral increased the advantage to 2-0 (59).
Led by the strong Sabitzer, the Austrians subsequently laid siege to the Turkish goal. Michael Gregoritsch managed to pull a goal back following a Sabitzer corner (66). The Turks subsequently threw themselves at every ball and resisted the Austrian pressure with every means at their disposal. The four minutes of stoppage time also did not bring about an equaliser for the Red & Whites, leaving Salih Özcan and his country celebrating at the end. Following a strong performance at the tournament, Sabitzer and the Austrians must now make the journey home.
Starting Friday, the following Borussia players will be battling for a EURO semi-final spot:
| 05/07/2024 | 18:00 CEST | Stuttgart | Spain vs. Germany | Schlotterbeck, Can, Füllkrug |
| 06/07/2024 | 18:00 CEST | Düsseldorf | England vs. Switzerland | Kobel |
| 06/07/2024 | 21:00 CEST | Berlin | Netherlands vs. Türkiye | Malen, Özcan |