Turkey advanced to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 with a 2-1 win over Austria, thanks to Merih Demiral's two goals and a crucial save by goalkeeper Mert Gunok in the dying moments of the match.
Demiral opened the scoring just 57 seconds into the game, converting a rebound after Austria's defense failed to clear a corner. The early strike was the second-fastest goal in Euro history, with the fastest being Albania's 23-second goal against Italy.
Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella praised his team's resilience, stating, "Our team spirit showed until the last minute."
Gunok's remarkable reflex save came four minutes into injury time, denying Christoph Baumgartner's close-range header and preserving Turkey's lead. This save ensured Turkey's place in the quarterfinals, where they will face the Netherlands on Saturday. Montella described the Netherlands as a team that "fight like lions."
Despite Austria's dominance in terms of attempts, with 21 compared to Turkey's six, they failed to capitalize on their chances. Austria coach Ralf Rangnick reflected on the missed opportunities, saying, "The only thing we could be accused of is that we didn’t score enough goals from the chances we had, and that we didn’t work well twice for set pieces.”
The match began intensely, with both teams creating chances within the first 30 seconds. Demiral capitalized on a defensive lapse by Austria to score his first goal, causing celebrations among the Turkish fans both in and outside the stadium. Germany's large Turkish community, approximately 3 million strong, provided fervent support for the team.
Austria responded with vigor in the second half, but Turkey's second goal came in the 59th minute. Arda Guler's precise corner found Demiral, who headed it in despite a shower of beer cups from the crowd. Austria managed to pull one back when Stefan Posch's header was volleyed home by Michael Gregoritsch.
Both teams had further chances in the rainy conditions, but no additional goals were scored. Gunok's last-minute save was pivotal in securing Turkey's victory.
Turkey played without their regular captain, Hakan Calhanoglu, who was suspended. Austria missed their key player, David Alaba, due to a knee injury. Alaba, who supported his team from the sidelines, shared a warm embrace with his Real Madrid teammate Guler before the match.
Earlier, the Netherlands secured their quarterfinal spot by defeating Romania 3-0.
