Match 1: Romania vs Netherlands
Match Analysis: Romania will play the Netherlands in the round of 16
Although the Netherlands finished third in Group D, they are still the favourites to win the title
Despite scoring only 4 points, Romania finished first in Group E
Romania have been one of the surprise underdogs at Euro 2024, having qualified as group winners in their round of 16 tie against the Netherlands.
Romania beat Ukraine 3-0 in the opening round and Romania's draw with Slovakia in their final group game ensured they were ahead of Belgium in the standings. With no superstars in their squad, Romania have shown incredible togetherness to reach the round of 16 of the European Championship for the first time since 2000.
While they will be at a clear disadvantage against the Netherlands, a win over the Netherlands is not out of the question. Ronald Koeman's side finished third in Group D, behind France and Austria and failed to shine at the Euros. Despite having a talented team, they struggled in both matches at Euro 2024.
These two teams have only met once in the past European Championships, back in 2008. The Netherlands won 2-0 on that occasion and the Netherlands will be hoping for a repeat of that result.
When does the Romania vs Netherlands match start?
Location: Munich, Germany
Stadium: Allianz Arena
Date: Tuesday, June 2
Tee times: 17:00 BST / 12:00 ET / 09:00 PT / 00:00 Beijing Time
Referee: Felix Zwayet
VAR: Bastian Dackelt
Romania vs Netherlands head-to-head record (last five games)
Romania: 1 win
Netherlands: 4 wins
Draws: 0
Last fixture: Romania 0-3 Netherlands (14/11/2017) - International friendlies
Current format (all competitions)
Romanian
Netherlands
Slovakia 1-1 Romania - 26/06/24
Netherlands 2-3 Austria - 25/06/24
Belgium 2-0 Romania - 22/06/24
Netherlands 0-0 France - 21/06/24
Romania 3-0 Ukraine - 17/06/24
Poland 1-2 Netherlands - 16/06/24
Romania 0-0 Liechtenstein - 07/06/24
Netherlands 4-0 Iceland - 10/06/24
Romania 0-0 Bulgaria - 04/06/24
Netherlands 4-0 Canada - 06/06/24
Romania Team News
Romania are unlikely to deviate too much from the squad that secured them a place in the knockout stages, although they will have to find a new left-back for the round of 16. Nicuso Banku was suspended after receiving his second yellow card in the last match. Centre-back Anje Burka could take his place.
In midfield and up front, changes are unlikely. The likes of Razvan Marin, Dennis Dragus and Nikola Stanciu all scored at the European Championships in Germany, while Denis Mann was a regular on the right flank with two assists.
Romania vs Netherlands predicted lineup (4-1-4-1): Nita, Latiu, Dragusin, Ruth, Burka, Marius Marin, Dennis Mann, Razvan Marin, Stanciu, Koeman, Dragus.
Netherlands team news
Koeman made a tactical change in just 35 minutes in his last game against Austria. With Werman replacing Simmons, the Netherlands immediately looked sharp and the young attacker could be called back to the starting line-up against Romania.
Donier Mullen capped off a surprise start with a score against Austria, while Lutchar Gotria conceded three goals after replacing Denzel Dunfils. Both are unlikely to start on Tuesday.
Luckily for the Netherlands, they don't have suspended players for the round of 16.
Netherlands v Romania predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Februhen, Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake, Reinders, Schouten, Frimpong, Simmons, Gakpo, Depay
—— Forecast ——
The European Championship has the Netherlands as strong favourites for this game, but things may not go as planned. The Netherlands looked far from convincing in the final third of the game and in their own penalty area, while injuries ahead of the European Championship meant they were not strong in midfield.
Romania have proven themselves to be a shrewd counter-attacking team at the Euros so far, most notably in their 3-0 win over Ukraine. If they can make the transition from defence to attack quickly, they could upset the Dutch side who lack a world-class defensive midfield.
It's likely that there will be at least one shocking match in the last 16 – England came close to losing against Slovakia – so why not the Netherlands this time?
Recommend:
Look for Romania to win 2-1 3-1 3-2