In a 3-0 win over Romania, Cody Gakpo was on fire and helped the Netherlands book a spot in the quarterfinals of Euro 2024.
The Liverpool forward was a steady threat at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Tuesday. He caused a lot of trouble for Brighton target Andrei Ratiu from the left wing and scored goals and set up others for Ronald Koeman’s improved team.
Twenty minutes in, Gakpo scored the first goal by cutting inside Ratiu, the Romanian right back, and hitting home a powerful shot. He now has three goals in the game, tied with Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze for the most goals in the event.
Gakpo will feel like a new player for Liverpool this summer if he can keep up this level of play. He might even be better than Luis Diaz, especially since Arne Slot is also Dutch. Even though he had good numbers for the Reds last season (16 goals and 6 assists), his play wasn’t always steady because he was switching positions so often. But it’s clear that cutting in from the left and firing shots is his best job.
Stefan de Vrij beat Florin Nita, Romania’s goalie, with a header that went into the side netting. Then, Tottenham centre back Radu Dragusin blocked Denzel Dumfries’ pass across the goal to Memphis Depay. There’s no doubt that the Dutch team wasted chances and could have been well ahead if they’d been more precise in the final third.
As Bogdan Racovitan, a replacement from Romania, tried to move the ball out of play, he was caught dithering. This let Dumfries steal the ball and find Xavi Simons, who couldn’t move his feet in time to score. Romania’s defenders had a lot of trouble with Dumfries’ speed. The Inter Milan wing-back looked like he was pulled back at the far post by Ianis Hagi, but German referee Felix Zwayer wasn’t interested.
Gakpo was the main reason Holland tried to score a second goal after halftime. His 25-yard strike forced Nita to make a save, and VAR called the goal offside. But this seemed to make him even more determined, as he worked well with replacement Joey Veerman. Veerman almost had a chance to redeem himself after leaving the game early in the 3-2 loss to Austria in Berlin.
Then, Gakpo kept trying even though it looked like there was no way to win, and Donyell Malen doubled Holland’s lead by surprising Dragusin, the Romanian defender, and setting up his teammate for the goal. Malen scored a third goal with a confident finish from the left side, and then he celebrated in front of the angry Romanian fans, which caused a lot of controversy.
Four shots, three recoveries, three dribbles, and three wins out of four duels have been made by the Liverpool star in this game.
After playing badly against Austria in Berlin, the Dutch team made a strong comeback. They didn’t even have to shift out of second gear. They should now be sure that they have the skills, energy, and drive to make it at least to the semifinals. Gakpo will be a key player for his country in the Euros.
