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Euro PIX: Malen brace as Dutch rout Romania to make last 8

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Donyell Malen scores the Netherlands' the third goal and his second in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 match, at Munich Football Arena, Germany, on Tuesday.

IMAGE: Donyell Malen scores the Netherlands' the third goal, his second, in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 match, at Munich Football Arena, Germany, on Tuesday. Photograph: Michaela Stache/Reuters

Cody Gakpo scored his third goal of the European Championship and Donyell Malen added two more late on as the Netherlands burst back into form with a lively display to defeat Romania 3-0 in their last-16 fixture on Tuesday.

 

They were lambasted by their media and fans for a poor defensive display in their final group game, a 3-2 loss to Austria, but were more composed and in control as they reached the Euro quarter-finals for the first time since 2008.

The Dutch took the lead after 20 minutes when Gakpo drilled a low angled shot home at goalkeeper Florin Nita's near post before Malan's late double helped set up a quarter-final with Austria or Turkey, who play later on Friday, in Berlin on Saturday.

The Netherlands had two thirds of possession and almost five times more chances in the game to underline their superiority as Virgil van Dijk struck the post with a header and Gakpo had a second effort ruled out for offside.

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