Merih Demiral’s Goals Lead Turkiye to Victory Over Austria in Euro 2024

Leipzig [Germany], July 3: Merih Demiral scored twice to help Turkiye beat Austria 2-1, securing their first major international tournament quarterfinal in 16 years at the Leipzig Stadium on Tuesday night.

Match Highlights

Austria had gone ahead early in their previous matches, but this time, Turkiye took the lead in just 57 seconds. Arda Guler, a teenage sensation, delivered a corner that Austria’s goalkeeper Patrick Pentz couldn’t handle, allowing Demiral to score the fastest goal in Euro knockouts.

Marko Arnautovic missed a chance to equalize for Austria. Just before the hour mark, Demiral scored again from another Guler corner, putting Turkiye in control. Austria’s Michael Gregoritsch scored in the 66th minute, but Turkiye’s goalie Mert Gunok made a crucial save to deny Christoph Baumgartner an equalizer.

Upcoming Matches

Turkiye will face the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. The Netherlands secured their spot with a 3-0 win over Romania in Munich. Cody Gakpo scored in the 20th minute, and Donyell Malen added two more goals late in the game.