Hoera! The Netherlands qualifies for first European quarter-finals in 16 years

Just when you thought Oranje fans and their Links Rechts dance moves couldn’t go much more viral, their beloved team keeps giving them more to cheer for.

The Netherlands beat Romania 3 – 0 in last night’s first European Championship knockout match, meaning they are through to the quarter-finals for the first time in 16 years.

Fans go crazy, but the start is shaky

The match was played in Munich, which holds a lot of Dutch football history — from the ’88 European victory to, well, THAT World Cup final loss in 1974. 😬

Yesterday’s match was also one of ups and downs, with Romania having the brighter start.

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The Dutch lineup was slightly different to their last fixture, with Bergwijn and Reijnders starting. But there were gaps in the Dutch defence.

However, Cody Gapko managed to break through the difficult start, helping the team to a 1 – 0 lead with a solid shot.

A game of chances

3 – 0 isn’t exactly a scoreline to scoff at, but it didn’t come without multiple missed chances by the Dutch side.

From Reijnders and Depay having shots blocked by Nita, the Romanian goalkeeper, to Van Dijk heading one into the post, the Netherlands watched chance after chance slip away.

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Gapko seemed to be the man to turn it around yet again, but his second goal at 61′ was disallowed after the referee called offside.

Instead, PSV Eindhoven’s midfielder Malen finally secured the win, scoring in the 83rd minute and once again in extra time.

Sixteen years later

Yesterday’s win marks the first time since 2008 that the Netherlands has reached the quarter-finals.

And it’s safe to say the fans let Munich know how happy they were about that…

What’s next for the team? They will play at 9 PM on Saturday against Turkey, who beat Austria in a great game yesterday.

Are you following the football at the moment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.