A giant. Able to drag Turkey along. Merih Demiral, with a brace, knocks down Austria in the last of the eighth finals of the European Championships and allows coach Vincenzo Montella to fly to the quarterfinals where on Saturday in Berlin they will face Holland. In Leipzig it ends 2-1 for the Turks who thus erase the humiliation suffered only a few months ago, when Ralf Rangnick’s national team had won with a sensational 6-1. Demiral’s goals were decisive (in the 1st and 59th minute). Gregoritsch’s in the 66th minute was useless: it was curious the choice of Rangnick who initially left him on the bench even though three months ago, against Turkey, the Freiburg striker had scored a hat-trick.
the race
—
Montella lines up his team with a 4-2-3-1, with the young Guler as the attacker, Yildiz, Kokcu and Yilmaz behind him. Austria responds in kind, with Arnautovic as the attacker, Laimer, Baumgartner and Schmid in the attacking midfield. The game starts at a very high pace: after 14 seconds Baumgartner tries to launch Arnautovic, who is closed down at the last minute by Gunok. On the counterattack the Turks win a corner on which Demiral, after a series of rebounds, sends the ball into the net from a few steps away. Austria does not seem to be destabilized, to the point that Baumgartner comes close to equalizing twice, first with a shot from outside (the ball goes just wide in the 3rd minute), then from a corner (in the 6th minute). Rangnick’s team stays in the opponents’ half and continues to create: yet it is Demiral who comes close to making it 2-0, again from a corner, in the 25th minute. Austria tries in every way, both by breaking down the opposing defence with their play and with shots from outside (Sabitzer is dangerous in the 33rd minute).
the recovery
—
Arnautovic’s mistakes at the start of the second half were serious: in the 52nd minute he found himself alone against Gunok, but he kicked at the opposing goalkeeper who was coming out. A few minutes later he also missed a soft touch, but it would have been offside. Turkey’s 2-0 was surprising, with Demiral taking advantage of another set piece. From that moment on, the game was one-goal: in the 66th minute Austria halved the gap with Gregoritsch who took advantage of a Posch tower to beat Guler from two steps away. The match became very exciting. Austria gave the impression of being able to score at any moment, but Turkey crowded in front of their penalty area, starting counterattacks several times. Yilmaz wasted two great opportunities in open play, but on the other side, Baumgartner, with a header from two steps away, saw the door closed by an amazing Gunok. It ends with the Austrian goalkeeper coming up to head the ball from a corner, but Demiral and his teammates defend and resist. Turkey wins, Montella wins. And on Saturday they will challenge Holland in Berlin: the semi-final against the winner of England-Switzerland is up for grabs.
