The Netherlands came from behind to see off Turkey and set up a semi-final against England at Euro 2024.
Centre-back Samet Akaydin had rightly put Turkey ahead when he headed in Arda Guler’s dinked cross, concluding an outstanding first half performance.
He ran over to the Turkey fans, kissed the insignia on his jersey, and knelt in front of them to pray, as substitutes dashed down the touchline.
They found an equaliser through Stefan de Vrij’s header, moments after Weghorst made a crucial interception inside his own box to stop Turkey’s Kaan Ayhan getting to a rebound.
Turkey almost doubled their lead when Real Madrid’s Guler bent a brilliant free-kick on to the post, but did not capitalise when they had their chances.
It means Ronald Koeman’s side will now take on England in Dortmund on Wednesday (20:00 BST) after England beats Switzerland on penalties.
Weghorst makes difference for Dutch
The Netherlands had been under pressure prior to their excellent 3-0 victory over Romania in the last 16, but their first-half performance was reminiscent of their previous performances.
Passive, predictable, and fragile, they struggled to deal with Turkey’s counter-attack danger and did not generate nearly enough on the other end.
An quick change was required, with Turkey supported by boisterous support in Berlin, whistling every spell of Dutch possession and out-singing the normally robust Orange support.
Koeman did not hesitate and was rewarded for his ruthless decision-making, hooking Steven Bergwijn at the break and introducing Weghorst.
The striker had an immediate impact, causing problems with his height in the box, intelligent runs and work-rate in defence.
After seizing the lead, the Netherlands faced a challenging phase as Turkey sought a reply that never materialized.
Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen thwarted Kerem Akturkoglu with a remarkable late save, while De Vrij made crucial blocks in the box.
Bertug Yildirim, an unused substitute, was shown a red card for remarks directed at the officials. Moments later, Dutch players dropped to their knees at the final whistle, with tournament top scorer Gakpo collapsing in jubilation on the ground.
However, it was Weghorst who garnered the lion’s share of admiration from fans, thanks to his inspired second-half display that proved pivotal.
