Euro 2024: The Resurgent Oranje Cannot Underestimate the Crescent Stars

Netherlands vs Turkey

The Olympiastadion Berlin is one of the places to be this weekend, as the Netherlands are set to square off against Turkey in a fascinating Euro 2024 quarter-final clash.

After stumbling through the group stage, finishing third behind Austria and France in Group D, the Netherlands regained their mojo by beating Romania 3-0 in the Round of 16.

Turkey, on the other hand, made it this far after finishing second behind Portugal in Group F, and they are coming off a 2-1 victory against a tough Austrian squad last time out.

The winner of this contest will take on the winner between England and Switzerland, and the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds like the Oranje’s chances of moving on to the next round this Saturday.

Talking Points

Gakpo continues to inspire the Netherlands

Since taking the world by storm in the 2022 World Cup, Cody Gakpo has been on a steady rise. He has moved to Liverpool (from PSV) since then, and he remains the talisman for the Oranje.

The 25-year-old forward is off to a flying start here in Euro 2024, as he leads the Golden Boot race with three goals under his belt, finding the back of the net against Poland, Austria, and Romania.

The Liverpool hitman became the sixth Oranje player to score at least three goals during a single Euros, joining the likes of Gini Wijnaldum (3 in 2020), Dennis Bergkamp (3 in 1992), Ruud van Nistelrooy (4 in 2004), Patrick Kluivert (5 in 2000), and Marco van Basten (5 in 1988), and there’s a big chance that he could finish at the top of the list when the tournament is all said and done.

Gakpo was also named Man of the Match twice already for the Netherlands in this tournament.

With no injuries to report, head coach Ronald Koeman will have a complete squad at his disposal. He’ll likely maintain almost the same starting XI he had against Romania, with the exception of Steven Bergwijn, who will likely be replaced by Donyell Malen since he scored a brace last time out.

Key returns for Turkey

Turkey may consider themselves the dark horse of Euro 2024 because of their good run of results leading up to the quarter-finals. And with some of his key players returning, head coach Vincenzo Montella would fancy his side’s chances against the Netherlands.

Merih Demiral’s brace and Mert Gunok’s last-gasp save did the job for them against Austria in Leipzig, and they are expected to play pivotal roles against the Oranje.

Turkey are set to welcome back influential playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu and defender Samet Akaydin after both players served their one-game suspensions last time out.

Calhanoglu’s return will relegate Orkun Kokcu back to the bench, and the Inter Milan star will likely be partnered with Salih Ozcan in midfield.

Youngsters Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz will continue to lead the line for the Crescent Stars.

History

Saturday marks the 15^th encounter between the Netherlands and Turkey across all competitions, and this will be the first time they’ll meet at a major tournament. In the prior head-to-heads, the Oranje had the edge with six wins, while the Crescent Stars had four wins and four draws.

The Netherlands embarrassed Turkey during their last meeting, as the former routed the latter with a 6-1 scoreline during a World Cup qualifier in September 2021. Turkey recorded a 4-2 victory against the Netherlands in the reverse fixture six months earlier.

The Oranje will be aiming to progress to the Euro semi-finals after last doing so in 2004, when they took home the bronze medal. The Crescent Stars, meanwhile, have reached the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the fourth time ever.

Betting Tip

The Euro 2024 odds have the Netherlands as the favourites to win this Saturday. The Oranje are at 1.61 odds to win, whereas the Crescent Stars are 5.20 underdogs, and a draw is priced at 3.87 in the 1X2 market.

However, if you fancy Turkey’s chances to win, then check out Correct Scores of 1-0 and 2-1, given their generous offers of 15.00 and 18.00, respectively.

Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of the Netherlands is also viable, and it has a decent offer of 7.30.

Both sides are capable of creating new Euro 2024 highlights, but the Netherlands are likely to score more than Turkey.

With that said, you may want to go for alternatives like Over 2.50 at 1.78, Over 2.75 at 2.04, and Total Goals 2-3 at 1.94, besides our recommended bet above.

 

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