Demiral’s Brace Secures Turkey’s 2-1 Victory Over Austria, Setting Up Euro 2024 Quarterfinal Against Netherlands

Turkey advanced to the Euro 2024 quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Austria, thanks to Merih Demiral's two goals and a crucial late save by goalkeeper Mert Gunok.

Demiral struck first, netting the opener just 57 seconds into the match. His early goal was the second-fastest in Euro history, following Albania's 23-second goal against Italy. In the dying moments, Gunok's acrobatic save preserved Turkey's lead, denying Christoph Baumgartner's close-range header four minutes into injury time.

“Our team spirit showed until the last minute,” Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella remarked post-match.

Gunok's critical save, diving to his right to block Baumgartner's header, was pivotal in securing Turkey's victory and a quarterfinal clash with the Netherlands. Montella acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating the Dutch “fight like lions.”

“We will gather our mental and physical strength and keep following our path,” Montella added.

Despite Austria dominating with 21 attempts to Turkey's six, they struggled to convert their chances, continually testing Gunok.

“I'm sure that if Baumi had scored to take the game to extra time, we would have gone on to win the match,” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick stated. “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 with high intensity, with both teams creating opportunities within the first 30 seconds. Demiral capitalized on a defensive error from Austria following a corner kick, scoring from a rebound after Patrick Pentz's initial save.

Germany, home to about 3 million people of Turkish descent, saw enthusiastic celebrations both inside and outside the stadium following Demiral's goal.

Austria nearly equalized shortly after but Demiral's defensive efforts kept Baumgartner from scoring. In the second half, Austria pushed forward with more aggression, but Turkey found relief through another corner. Amidst a shower of beer cups, Arda Guler delivered a precise cross for Demiral to head in his second goal in the 59th minute.

Austria's corner-taker, Marcel Sabitzer, faced similar disruptions but still managed to assist Stefan Posch, whose header set up Michael Gregoritsch to score from close range.

Despite several late chances in rainy conditions, neither team added to their tally, with Gunok's last-second save sealing the win for Turkey.

Both teams were missing their regular captains; Turkey's Hakan Calhanoglu was suspended, and Austria's David Alaba was recovering from a knee injury. Alaba, present to support his team, shared a moment with his Real Madrid teammate Guler before the match.

Earlier, the Netherlands secured their quarterfinal spot with a 3-0 victory over Romania.