A brace from Merih Demiral was enough for Turkey to overcome Austria 2-1 in a pulsating encounter at the Leipzig stadium on Tuesday, July 2nd, and secure their spot in the quarter-finals of EURO 2024 for the first time in 16 years.
It was a fairytale evening for Merih Demiral and Arda Guler, whose braces of goals and assists respectively proved to be the difference.
The Juventus defender opened the scoring after just 57 seconds, latching onto Guler’s corner to fire Turkey into the lead.
This is the fastest goal ever scored at a European Championship knockout stage.
Austria, who had impressed in the group stage to emerge as group leaders in a group that also had France and the Netherlands, tried to hit back, but Marko Arnautovic was wasteful in front of goal.
Turkey then doubled their advantage just before the hour mark, with Demiral once again on target, this time meeting another delightful Guler delivery with a powerful header.
The Austrians refused to go down without a fight, and substitute Michael Gregoritsch pulled one back in the 66th minute to set up a tense final minutes.
However, Turkey goalkeeper Mert Gunok produced a stunning save in stoppage time to deny Christoph Baumgartner and ensure his side held on for the victory.
It was a truly pulsating encounter, with both teams showcasing their attacking prowess. Arda Guler, the teenage sensation, and Merih Demiral, were very instrumental in Turkey’s victory, underlining their immense potential.
For Austria, the defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, as they once again failed to progress beyond the round of 16 stage at a major tournament.
Ralf Rangnick’s side had been fancied, particularly after their impressive 6-1 win over Turkey in March, but they were ultimately undone by the set-piece brilliance of their opponents.
Turkey, on the other hand, will be ecstatic with their performance. Vincenzo Montella’s side have now secured their place in the quarter-finals, where they will face the Netherlands on Saturday, June 6th, in what promises to be another enthralling encounter.
