The Czechs stun the Netherlands to reach Euro 2020 quarter-finals

The

faced the

in their Euro 2020 round-of-16 tie on Sunday. Frank de Boer used the same lineup that defeated North Macedonia 3-0 in the Netherlands’ last group-stage game. On the other hand, the Czech Republic made three changes from the side that were beaten 1-0 by England. Captain Vladimir Darida was left out of the squad due to injury and he was replaced by Pavel Kaderabek. Antonin Barak and Petr Sevcik also started ahead of Jan Boril and Jakub Jankto in the Czechs’ midfield.

The Netherlands set the tempo early on and managed to create a few chances at the beginning of the game. Following a searching long pass by Daley Blind, Denzel Dumfries ran behind the Czech’s backline, but his close-range strike was blocked by Vladimir Coufal.

The Oranje kept Jaroslav Silhavy’s side under fierce pressure for the rest of the first period. However, the Czechs managed to withstand the attacks and the first half ended in a goalless draw.

The Netherlands started the second half with dominance and created their first serious chance in the 50th minute. Thanks to a precise pass from

, Donyell Malen found himself in a one-on-one situation against

. The Dutch forward tried to dribble past the keeper, but Vaclik managed to gather the ball with a superb save.

Two minutes later, the Oranje were shocked by

’s fast-paced run from the left side of the pitch. Schick was stopped by

, who deliberately hit the ball with his hand to stop the attack. The referee initially showed a yellow card to the Juventus defender. However, upon reviewing the incident on the pitchside screen, De Ligt was sent off the pitch with a red card.

De Ligt’s red card completely changed the rhythm of the game. The Czech Republic took complete control of the game and broke the deadlock in the 68th minute. Following a deep cross from the right side, the ball was headed back across the net to

, who nutted it into the net from close range.

De Boer’s side gained possession after the goal, but they were not able to get past the Czechs’ solid defense. Silhavy’s side doubled their lead in the 80th minute when Holes ran behind the Oranje’s backline and flicked a precise pass to Schick, who scored his fourth goal of the tournament by firing the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. The Netherlands tried to mount a late comeback through Depay’s runs behind the Czechs’ defense. However, the Dutch forwards were denied by Vaclik’s impressive goalkeeping and the match ended in a shocking 2-0 victory for the Czechs.

Silhavy’s side will face

in their quarter-final tie on July 3.

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