Euro 2024 has thrown up a surprising matchup in the last 16, with Romania, who topped a tight Group E, facing a Netherlands side that only scraped through in third place from Group D.
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Romania’s Unexpected Rise
Few predicted Romania’s group stage dominance. All four teams in their group finished level on points, but Romania’s superior goal difference secured top spot. A crucial 3-goal win over Ukraine and a penalty secured by Razvan Marin on the final day were key to their success. This marks Romania’s first knockout stage appearance in a major tournament since Euro 2000.
However, history doesn’t favor Romania. They’ve only won one of their last seven games, and their opponents haven’t exactly been at their best either.
Netherlands: Underperforming But Dangerous
Despite boasting a squad overflowing with talent, the Netherlands haven’t lived up to expectations. They relied on a late equalizer from Wout Weghorst against Poland, were denied a goal against France, and then lost to Austria.
On the positive side, they’ve avoided some of the tournament’s heavyweights in the knockout stages and remain the only team left in their half of the bracket with a European Championship title (1988). Their historical dominance over Romania (one defeat in 13 meetings) also suggests they should progress.
Team News and Possible Lineups
Romania will be without suspended left-back Nicusor Bancu. Vasile Mogos or Deian Sorescu could replace him, potentially pushing Andrei Ratiu to the left side of defense. Up front, Iordanescu has a selection headache with Ianis Hagi, Dennis Man, Florinel Coman, and Valentin Mihaila all vying for two spots alongside Denis Dragus.
The Netherlands have a clean bill of health, but a midfield change is expected. Joey Veerman’s underwhelming performance likely means a return for Xavi Simons, pushing Tijjani Reijnders into a deeper role. Joshua Zirkzee is fit again, but Memphis Depay is likely to keep his place in attack as he chases Robin van Persie’s Dutch goalscoring record.
Prediction: Netherlands Edged to Favor
While Romania deserves credit for their group stage achievement, their limitations were exposed against Belgium. The Netherlands, despite their inconsistencies, possess superior attacking firepower. We predict a narrow 2-0 victory for the Dutch, setting up a quarter-final clash against either Turkey or Austria.