Euro 2024: everything you need to know about the last two Round of 16 matches!
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
Romania vs Netherlands, Oranje overwhelming favorites
For today's two matches, no Euro 2024 prediction favorite is in the running, as they have all qualified for the quarter-finals. In fact, so far there have been no major surprises in the Round of 16. And the Netherlands, serious outsiders in the competition, will also have to do the work today in a match where they will be heavy favorites. And yet, at the moment, they've been less than convincing this tournament, having won just one match during the group phase...
After a hard-won victory over Poland (1-2), the Netherlands put in a non-match against France, clearly playing for a draw. Although a twist of fate could have given them the 3 points (if VAR hadn't intervened, rightly or wrongly depending on the interpretation), the Oranje finally got what they wanted - a draw. But unfortunately for them, that wasn't enough, as defeat by Austria on the final day (2-3) condemned them to 3rd place. Chance or not, the Netherlands finally find themselves in the most affordable part of the table on paper, avoiding all the big boys until the final, or England and Switzerland until the semi-finals.
The Netherlands will have to do a lot better today after 3 very average opening games.
Romania, for their part, impressed a large number of people unfamiliar with this team. Combative, rigorous and with qualities all their own, this nation quite simply finished top of Group E, ahead of Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine! Few thought they had a chance of even finishing in the top 2, but here they are in the Round of 16 as group winners.
But, of course, not everything was perfect, and Romania will have a few things to put right for their clash with the Netherlands. We're thinking in particular of the match against Belgium, where too much space was left to quality players such as Doku and De Bruyne. Offensively, the chances are there, but the finishing is still lacking, as we saw in the match against the Red Devils. Take a look at our Romania - Netherlands prediction for more information and statistics on the match!
Important information
- TV broadcast: FS1
- Time: Noon EST (Tuesday, July 2, 2024)
- Stadium: Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany)
- Referee: Félix Zwayer (German)
Austria vs Turkey, an open match?
For this last round of 16 of Euro 2024, on the right to probably the most balanced opposition on paper, even if a certain advantage is given to Austria. After offering a solid match against France and only losing by the smallest of margins after an own goal, Austria clearly passed the second to show what it was capable of in this competition. And it was the other two in the group, Poland and the Netherlands, who paid the price!
Indeed, the Austrians first beat the Poles with a score of 1-3 after a solid performance and had every chance of qualifying at the dawn of the third day of the group stage. But the final match was beyond their expectations, in fact, with the draw of the Blues against Poland, it was Austria which, to everyone's surprise, took the lead in the group after having offered the scalp of the Dutch (2-3). A small feat for Kévin Danso and his teammates, who clearly show what they are capable of.
We expect an offensive match between two great, very playful teams.
For their part, Turkey offered interesting matches in this Euro 2024, but it is above all the shaky defense that worries fans. If the Turks took the 3 points against Georgia in the first match (3-1), they conceded too many chances, especially at the end of the match. For the second match, against Portugal, the 3-0 setback was clear and precise, as the defensive performance of Hakan Çalhanoğlu and his teammates was disappointing, and in particular the own goal... With 3 points on the clock at the dawn of the last day, Turkey had to ensure in the last match against the Czech Republic, and at all costs avoid defeat.
If the expulsion of Barak in the 20th minute helped Vincenzo Montella and his players, that did not prevent this team from, all the same, conceding a goal and putting themselves in difficulty for the rest of the match, or even from the competition. If Çalhanoğlu had opened the scoring, the Czech Republic having therefore equalized, we had to wait for Tosun's goal in the 94th minute to formalize the presence of the Turks in this round of 16... We will have to live up to the event this evening, and offer much better against Austria which has shown great things since the start of the competition. Our Austria vs Turkey prediction is available, so don’t hesitate to check it out if you want to place some bets on this final eighth!
Important information
- Broadcast TV channel: FS1
- Time: 3:00 p.m. EST (Tuesday, July 2, 2024)
- Stadium: Red Bull Arena (Leipzig, Germany)
- Referee: Artur Soares Dias (Portuguese)
