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Czechs too much for Dutch as Schick and Holeš get the goals


Czech Republic has stormed past 10-man Netherlands to book a spot in the Euro 2020 quarter finals with a 2-0 win.

Tomáš Holeš and Patrik Schick scored a goal each in the second half after Matthijs de Ligt was sent off in the 55th minute.

Schick made sure of the Czechs’ surprise success with a close-range finish 10 minutes from full-time, his fourth goal of the tournament, in front of a capacity crowd that provided a deafening wall of noise for most of an absorbing last-16 contest.

“They were the favourites in this game, it is an unreal feeling to beat such a team 2-0,” goalscorer Holeš said.

“They were better with the ball, we struggled, but thanks to our team performance, we did not give them much space.”

The Czechs will now take on Denmark in the quarter-finals.

De Ligt’s moment of madness

It was a calamitous outcome for the Dutch, who imploded after de Ligt was sent off for a cynical handball 10 minutes into the second half. They will now undergo some serious soul searching.

Matthijs de Ligt’s second-half send-off was the beginning of the end for the Netherlands against the Czech Republic.(

AP/Pool: Bernadet Szabo

)

De Ligt was sent off after a VAR review by Russian referee Sergei Karasev. De Ligt had punched away the ball as he tumbled to the ground in a tussle with Schick.

Before that pivotal moment, the Dutch had looked to get on top of their opponents with their overlapping runs and passing ability, but a moment of madness from their 21-year-old centre back swung the balance of the contest towards the Czechs, who needed no second invitation to grab the initiative.

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The Czechs are now through to face a quarter-final clash with Denmark in Baku on Saturday, turning around their Euro 2020 fortunes having only reached the knockout phase after finishing third in their group.

The Dutch could have gone ahead before being reduced to 10 men, with full-backs Denzel Dumfries and Patrick van Aanholt creating several chances with their overlapping runs.

Yet striker Memphis Depay looked out of sorts and Donyell Malen hesitated with several opportunities — no more so than when sprinting through the Czech defence to go one on one with Tomáš Vaclik, before having the ball snatched away from his feet as he tried to round the keeper.

There was an opportunity for the Czechs when stand-in captain Tomáš Souček glanced a difficult header wide in the 22nd minute and Antonin Barak blasted past the target from a tight angle 16 minutes later.

Once De Ligt was dismissed, the Czechs assumed control and the goal came as the Dutch defence was caught static by a set piece that saw Kalas climb above the defence to head back for Holes to score, with veteran Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg caught in no man’s land.

The Dutch then sought to throw on some attacking artillery but quickly wilted in the searing heat as Schick made it 2-0 with Holes pulling the ball back for the striker to finish clinically.

“It was an off day, we didn’t handle the pressure in midfield and couldn’t create our own space,” Netherlands captain Giorgino Wijnaldum said.

ABC/Reuters



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