Netherlands beat Romania live updates (2024)

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo scored his third goal of Euro 2024 before substitute Donyell Malen netted twice to send the Netherlands into the quarter-finals of this tournament for the first time in 16 years.

Romania started brightly but Netherlands scored first when Gakpo drilled a low shot home at the near post. The Netherlands missed a number of chances to double their lead before Malen came off the bench to score twice.

They will next play Turkey, who defeated Austria — the side that beat the Netherlands 3-2 in the group stage — in a game of the tournament contender.

I mentioned that it is a case of seven down and one to go in the Euro 2024 last 16, and the final tie of the round comes your way in around 20 minutes.

The dark horses of the tournament, Austria, meet Turkey in Leipzig — you can follow our live coverage of that one here.

Just one last-16 match to go — more on that shortly — and a mouthwatering quarter-final line-up is almost complete.

Here is what we have got so far:

Friday, July 5

• Spain vs Germany – 6pm local time / 5pm BST / 12pm ET / 9am PT
• Portugal vs France – 9pm local time / 8pm BST / 3pm ET / 12pm PT

Saturday, July 6

• England vs Switzerland – 6pm local time / 5pm BST / 12pm ET / 9am PT
• Netherlands vs Austria/Turkey – 9pm local time / 8pm BST / 3pm ET / 12pm PT

Gakpo will take plenty of the headlines, as will Malen, and rightly so.

But, somewhere in between, Xavi Simons was exceptional. He provided the assist for the first and third goals and, while they were both more about the individual brilliance that followed, they were key contributions all the same.

In providing two assists, he became the second youngest player (21 years and 72 days) to provide a pair of assists in the same European Championship knockout match. He is actually just 19 days older than Cesc Fabregas was when he provided two assists against Russia in the semi-final of Euro 2008 against Russia.

• Why was there a pair of shoes on the pitch?
• A glimpse of Total Football?
• Gakpo a major Golden Boot contender
• Romania's heroic defending: not quite enough
• Are the Dutch peaking at exactly the right time?

A selection of our writers were on hand to deliver their instant analysis of that impressive Netherlands win in The Briefing — check out out below.

Romania have only won a single knockout game at a major tournament, against Argentina all the way back in 1994 at the World Cup in the USA. After finishing top of their group and faced with an underwhelming Netherlands side, many felt Romania had a serious chance of emulating those heroics of three decades ago.

For 20 minutes, it truly seemed as though Romania were destined for a quarter-final and yet they conceded and promptly fell apart, as though this was a sucker punch from which they simply could not recover.

In truth, they never really looked like finding an equaliser.

While the Oranje deserve a lot of credit for continuing to push and finally doubling their lead in the 83rd minute before adding a third in injury time, they will have to be less wasteful if they hope to make it to the final week of the Euros.

3-0 is an excellent result for a team that finished third in their group but Ronald Koeman will be concerned with quite how often his team found themselves in great positions without actually scoring.

Decision-making was the only real negative in an excellent performance from a team many felt would struggle this afternoon.

Gakpo spoke a lot about his side's response to their defeat to Austria in the last game when he spoke after the match.

"We played a good game, we showed a great reaction from the last one and (I'm) very pleased," he told BBC. "After the last game, we needed a reaction and today was a good step in the right direction.

"We talked a lot about the aggression, the intensity and defending like a team. That was a good step and I'm very happy that we won."

No surprises which player is the recipient of UEFA's Player of the Match award.

Gakpo was the best player on the pitch by some distance after his third goal of the tournament and a brilliant assist for Malen's first goal. His goals carried the Netherlands through a shaky group stage and he continues to star as the rest of his team-mates have joined the party.

If he keeps this up, he may well be taking home the Golden Boot and, who knows, maybe even a winners' medal.

England have received much criticism at Euro 2024 for seemingly sitting back after taking the lead rather than going for the jugular. The Netherlands, on the other hand, were under pressure right until the point they took the lead against Romania.

The goal gave them confidence and they proceeded to attack their opponents whenever possible instead of simply being content to hang on to a slender lead. Football is about goals and it is good to see teams, even those without a plethora of attacking talent, refusing to adopt a defensive approach.

A great full-time scene at the Allianz Arena as both teams head to opposite corners to show their appreciation for their travelling supporters.

The fans were brilliant today, as they have been all tournament, and they have created a fantastic atmosphere.

The Romania supporters have been treated to a campaign they might not have expected while the Dutch fans will head to Berlin for their quarter-final on Saturday.

And, on that evidence, they will fancy their chances of a semi-final and, potentially, then the final.

That Malen run was absolutely lovely. I’ll confess to not realising how long it has been since the Netherlands went deep at a Euros.

They’ve obviously had questions over player selection and are always at the mercy of trying to play the Cruyff way, but three wonderful and very different goals today.

FT Romania 0-3 Netherlands

It is the Netherlands who will play in the Euro 2024 quarter-final, and rightly so!

They were excellent for the vast majority of that last-16 clash and Romania's campaign has come to an end.

90+4' Romania 0-3 Netherlands

Romania left themselves short at the back after sending nearly their entire team forward for a late corner.

Simons showed electric pace in his own half to stab the ball into the path of Malen who carried the ball 60 yards, stepped inside the covering Romania defender brilliantly and smashed an effort into the back of the net.

90+3' Romania 0-3 Netherlands

Donyell Malen puts the rubber stamp on an impressive Netherlands victory!

90+1' Romania 0-2 Netherlands

A small child just ran onto the pitch while the game was going on. Not entirely clear what he was doing — a selfie with the goalkeeper perhaps? — but that could have been nasty had there been a collision.

Thankfully, the stewards were out quickly.

90+1' Romania 0-2 Netherlands

Four minutes of stoppage time to come.

90' Romania 0-2 Netherlands

Another pitch invader at this tournament that had to be removed from the playing surface.

And, unlike earlier in the tournament, it was done very swiftly and effectively.

89' Romania 0-2 Netherlands

The Dutch fans had been outdone by their Romanian counterparts for much of this game, but it is them making all the noise in Munich now.

They will be looking forward to their quarter-final in Berlin on Saturday.