The Czech Republic stunned the Netherlands 2-0 to progress to the last eight of Euro 2020.
The Dutch were deemed the favourites and started the game on the front foot by constantly keeping the Czech defence busy.
However, the match turned upside down shortly for the Netherlands after half-time. Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt received a red card for his handball to deny Patrik Schick a clear goalscoring opportunity.
The Czechs used the situation advantage by opening the account through Tomas Holes, who later rounded off the ball to Patrick Schick for the winning goal.
The Netherlands were left disappointed following the shock exit; meanwhile, the Czechs await Denmark in the quarter-finals.
De Ligt’s red card changed the complexion of the game.
Before De Ligt’s red card, Frank De Boer’s side looked to have the edge against Czech as they constantly created a threat, especially from the right-hand side with Denzel Dumfries proving dangerous to the opponent. The Juventus defender’s dismissal had a sounding effect on the Dutch side mentally as they were forced to play more cautiously. It is how the Czech scored two goals, pouncing on the Dutch’s defensive fallacies.
Donyell Malen with a big miss.
Once again, before De Ligt was sent off, the Dutch side had their best chance of the game after Donyell Malen was left one on one with Czech goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik. But the PSV striker made a meal of it, and in hindsight, the Dutch side might be regretting the missed opportunity.
Czech’s defence was spot on.
Credit goes to the Czech’s defence, who managed to eke out the Dutch side’s attacking threat in the first half. Making clearances after clearance, the defenders hardly made any mistakes and eventually played a helping hand in the Czech’s dramatic win.
Schick’s impressive goalscoring form continues.
Patrik Schick, who grabbed the headlines after a stunning long-range goal against Scotland, appears to be in great form as he moved his tally to four goals in the Euros thus far, making him the second top scorer of the competition behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Netherlands once again failed on the big stage.
The Dutchmen were considered as one of the favourites after a rampant run in the group stage, but it was only flattering to deceive after tonight’s loss. Firstly the failure to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, followed by the defeat in the Nations League, and now an early exit from the European Championship, the Dutch side have been struggling to restore their status as one of the powerhouses.
