The Netherlands are through to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 after dispatching Romania in their last 16 tie. The Dutch won the game 3-0 but there was something unusual spotted on television screens as Donyell Malen scored the final goal of the match.
Indeed, the Borussia Dortmund forward raced into the opposition penalty box as and he lined up his strike, a pair of trainers were spotted. Goalkeeper Florin Nita should have been steadying himself to make a save but instead was distracted for a second as he took a moment to kick one of the shoes away.
No doubt hoping to avoid a repeat of the infamous Liverpool beach ball goal, the Romania shot-stopper dealt with that issue, but could not stop the shot as Malen drilled it home. But why were the trainers on the pitch in the first place?
Fans Threw Shoes Onto Pitch
Donyell Malen scored moments later
Initially, it was thought that the shoes had come from a fan who ran onto the field of play. Indeed, shortly before the third and final goal, a young pitch invader charged into the action, halting play momentarily.
However, this appears to have been a bit of a red herring. The shoes look to be far too big to belong to a child and images prove they aren’t the same, which leaves only one other possibility. As reported by Goal, the trainers were thrown onto the pitch by a fan in a bizarre incident.
We will never know for sure if Nita would have saved the shot but it’s undeniable that they played some part in distracting him shortly before Malen – who used to play for Arsenal at youth level – found the back of the net.
Ianis Hagi Wears Bizarre Hair Net
Forced to after head injury
Regardless of the shoes, the Dutch outclassed their opponents and were good value for the win. Liverpool ace Cody Gakpo was the star of the show, putting in a 9/10 performance as he scored the opener, had a goal ruled out for offside, and then set up Malen for the second. The Dortmund forward would then get his brace in the 93rd minute of the match, finishing calmly amid the chaos of the trainers.
The shoes weren’t the only unusual thing about the game either. Indeed, Ianis Hagi had to wear a bizarre hair net during the Euro 2024 clash. Looking a little bit like he was wearing an onion bag, the Romanian was forced to do so because of a head injury.
He suffered a nasty coming together with Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries and the force of the collision left him bleeding. As such, the medical staff reportedly felt this particular type of hair net was the right choice to stop the flow of blood and allow him to continue playing.
After the win, Netherland Boss Ronald Koeman ignored the distractions to focus instead on his team’s fine display. He told the press: “The win is important but we are Dutch and in Holland, we have to play well and play offensive football.
“The whole performance was outstanding and that’s what we need to have a chance. This is the level and if we go down, we won’t reach the final.”
He also reserved special praise for Gakpo, saying: “He (Gakpo) is at a great level here and has been the most important player for us.”
Cody Gakpo vs Romania | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goals | Assists | Expected Goals (xG) | Expected Assists (xA) | Key passes | Big chances created |
1 | 1 | 0.30 | 0.94 | 3 | 2 |
The Dutch will now play Turkey in the next round after they stunned Austria with a top performance, winning 2-1.
Stats via SofaScore.