Netherlands into Euro 2024 Semifinal against England after Beating Türkiye

Türkiye’s forward #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz reacts as Netherlands' players celebrate after the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal football match between the Netherlands and Türkiye at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on July 6, 2024. (AFP)
Türkiye’s forward #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz reacts as Netherlands' players celebrate after the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal football match between the Netherlands and Türkiye at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on July 6, 2024. (AFP)
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Netherlands into Euro 2024 Semifinal against England after Beating Türkiye

Türkiye’s forward #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz reacts as Netherlands' players celebrate after the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal football match between the Netherlands and Türkiye at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on July 6, 2024. (AFP)
Türkiye’s forward #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz reacts as Netherlands' players celebrate after the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal football match between the Netherlands and Türkiye at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on July 6, 2024. (AFP)

The Netherlands came from behind to beat Türkiye 2-1 on Saturday and book its place in the European Championship semifinals.

An own goal from Mert Muldur in the 76th minute, only six after Stefan De Vrij canceled Samet Akaydin’s first-half header for Türkiye, was enough for the Dutch in the last of the quarterfinals.

The Netherlands will face England in the second semifinal in Dortmund on Wednesday. Spain faces France in the first on Tuesday.

Türkiye was without defender Merih Demiral, who was suspended for two matches by UEFA for making a nationalistic hand gesture after scoring in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Austria. The gesture is used by Turkish nationalists and associated with an ultra-nationalist group.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was at the game after he changed his plans because of the diplomatic row with Germany over Demiral's gesture.

German interior minister Nancy Faeser had said Demiral used his celebration “as a platform for racism” and federal minister Cem Özdemir, a German politician of Turkish descent, said the gesture “stands for terror, fascism.”

Many Turkish fans made the gesture on their way to Berlin’s Olympiastadion, and again during Türkiye’s national anthem before the game.

The Dutch made a better start, but Türkiye’s defenders dug in to limit the impact of Cody Gapko, Xavi Simons and Memphis Depay. Türkiye lined up with five at the back without the ball, as it had in the win against Austria, and gradually improved.

Akaydin rewarded a period of Turkish pressure by scoring in the 35th. Arda Guler delivered a butter-soft cross for the defender to head in off the underside of the crossbar.

It set off wild celebrations among Türkiye’s coaching staff and fans. Guler was swamped in the coaching area with hugs, while fans in the west end of the stadium set off flares. Most stayed standing after the goal.

Turkish supporters greatly outnumbered their orange-clad counterparts in a city that’s home to a large community of people with Turkish roots. Most are descendants of Turkish “guest workers” who arrived in what was West Germany to help rebuild the post-war economy.

Germany is home to some 3 million Turks or people with Turkish roots, making them the country’s largest ethnic minority, and the team has enjoyed fevered support at Euro 2024.

The Dutch pushed for an equalizer before the break to a chorus of whistles.

Dutch coach Ronald Koeman, who won Euro ’88 as a player with the Netherlands, reacted at the break by sending on big forward Wout Weghorst for Steven Bergwijn.

Weghorst’s presence gave the Dutch wingers a target, leading to a period of intense pressure.

Guler hit the post with a free kick, but it was an isolated effort as Dutch pressure continued.

It finally paid off in the 70th when De Vrij was left free to head in Depay’s cross.

Suddenly the Dutch supporters could be heard again, and they were cheering again six minutes later when Gapko forced the own goal from Muldur by getting in front of the defender to Denzel Dumfries’ low cross.



Alcaraz Resists Rublev to Reach Wimbledon Quarter-finals

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning a game against Russia's Andrey Rublev during their men's singles fourth round tennis match on the seventh day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning a game against Russia's Andrey Rublev during their men's singles fourth round tennis match on the seventh day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
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Alcaraz Resists Rublev to Reach Wimbledon Quarter-finals

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning a game against Russia's Andrey Rublev during their men's singles fourth round tennis match on the seventh day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning a game against Russia's Andrey Rublev during their men's singles fourth round tennis match on the seventh day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Carlos Alcaraz came through a ferocious fourth-round firefight against a red-hot Andrey Rublev to win 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court and keep his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title on track on Sunday.

The Spanish second seed stuttered in his opening three rounds but found his best form to eventually subdue an inspired opponent who once again came up short against the very best, Reuters reported.

Rublev rocked Alcaraz by roaring into a 4-1 lead only to be pegged back but the Russian produced some astonishing tennis to snatch the tiebreak and move ahead.

Alcaraz never looked ruffled though and levelled the match after Rublev double-faulted on a break point. Rublev continued throwing everything in his arsenal at the champion in the third set but paid for not taking some early break points as Alcaraz found another gear.

Alcaraz looked impregnable in the fourth set and a single break of serve was enough to seal a 22nd successive match win and set up a last-eight clash with Britain's Cameron Norrie.

"Andrey is one of the most powerful players we have on Tour and is so aggressive with the ball. It's really difficult to face him, he forces you to the limit on each point," Alcaraz, bidding to become only the fourth man to win back-to-back French Open and Wimbledon titles multiple times, said on court.

"Really happy with the way I moved and played intelligent and smart tactically. A really good match all round."

With so many seeds having fallen early, this was the first match between top-20 players in the men's singles this year and it did not disappoint as the quality scaled rare heights.

Rublev, 27, has barely been outside of the top 10 since 2022 but has never got close to winning a Grand Slam, losing all 10 quarter-finals that he has contested.

The 14th seed must have sighed when he saw Alcaraz in his way in the fourth round, but he came out in positive fashion, off-loading rockets at the five-time Grand Slam champion.

With the roof closed after earlier thunderstorms the noise of the ball striking strings sounded like rifle shots.

Rublev hit harder, then harder still and at 5-5 in the opening set launched an outrageous backhand winner off a full-blooded Alcaraz forehand and then followed with a powerful forehand of his own to the baseline to move a set ahead.

He barely did anything wrong after that but Alcaraz, finally clicking into gear after three scratchy wins, showed why taking the title off him will be such a tough task.

The turning point came at 3-3 in the third set when Rublev, attempting to save a break point, sent Alcaraz sliding from side to side with a barrage of power only for the Spaniard to whip a forehand cross court winner, before cupping his ear to the crowd who rose as one to salute the moment of genius.

Rublev stuck manfully to his task but he was powerless to prevent an 11th loss from 11 matches against top-five opponents at a Grand Slam.