Donyell Malen scored a late brace as the Netherlands defeated Romania 3-0 on Tuesday to reach the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, after they wasted a host of chances earlier in the match.
Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo had a brilliant performance and scored the opener in the 20th minute.
What followed was a festival of missed opportunities, that included captain Virgil van Dijk hitting the post and a offside goal from Gakpo, before substitute Malen secured success in the 83rd and in the third minute of stoppage time.
Romania were never really out of the game before Malen's efforts, but also didn't manage to create any real threat, when one goal could have been enough to keep their dream alive.
The Netherlands will now meet either group stage opponents Austria or Turkey in the quarter-finals on July 6 in Berlin, where they were defeated 3-2 by the Austrians a week ago.
Netherlands, the 1988 Euro champions, hadn't reached the quarter-final at Euros since 2008.
A much improved Dutch side
After the defeat to Austria in the last group match, coach Ronald Koeman said his team was "not aggressive, we were really very bad," but they managed to have a much improved performance, despite the missed goal chances.
"I think we played a good game and showed a great reaction from the last game and I am very pleased. Especially after the last game we needed a reaction and today was a good step in the right direction," Man of the Match Gakpo said.
"We talked a lot about the aggression, the intensity and defending like a team. It was a good step and I am very happy we won," he added.
Gakpo ran to the physiotherapist after his goal and he explained his celebration: "He told me yesterday, 'you're gonna score the first goal,' and 'I said if i do that, I'll come to you,' and that's what I did."
Xavi Simons had the first good chance of the game in the seventh, but even thought it was well struck, it went straight at goalkeeper Florin Niță.
Romania had more presence in the attack and could have broke the deadlock in the 14th after a super pass from Răzvan Marin, but Denis Drăguş failed to control it. In the sequence, Dennis Man fired from distance and went close.
But the Dutch were the ones to find the breakthrough in the 20th. Gakpo cut in from the left flank and created an opening before finding the net with a curling attempt.
Dutch fans thought the team scored a second in the 27th, but Stefen de Vrij's header from a corner only rippled the side-netting. Radu Drăgușin then made a goal-saving tackle in the 32nd to deny Memphis Depay a tap-in after a cross from Denzel Dumfries.
Romania were being completely dominated and forced to make an early change after defender Vasile Mogos was hit in his chest in a hefty challenge.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, missed another chance, as Dumfries won the ball from a reckless defender and slid back to the centre of the are. Simons took a touch, instead of taking a first-time strike and gave Romania the opportunity to clear the ball away in the 44th.
Malen rescues Netherlands from late drama
Ronald Koeman's side started the second half missing another great opportunity. Substitute Donyell Malen slid to complete a low cross in the 54th, but failed. The ball fell to Depay, who controlled it but didn't manage a fine finish and Niță ended up holding it.
Just four minutes later, Van Dijk headed against the outside post before Niță denied Gakpo in the 59th and again in the 62nd. When the Liverpool winner thought he finally had a brace another minnute later, his effort was ruled out for offside.
Depay's free-kick just evaded the near post at the last moment in the 68th before Netherlands finally got their second goal in the 83rd, when Gakpo kept the ball in play before setting up Malen to tap it home.
Romania looked completed defeated after that goal, giving the opponents the space to add a third. Malen ran from the halfway line, cut inside Răzvan Marin and confidently fired the ball past the keeper in stoppage time.
Romania ended "a great story"
Romania coach Edward Iordănescu called on the people in the country "to develop and grow the new generations. They need to take inspiration from these boys and have them as role models, because they gave all they had."
He thanked the fans for their support and apologized for "not matching their level" and said that Romania ended "a great story."
"Today we ended a great story, which we started two years ago. We continued that story here in Germany along with the fans of the national team. We wanted more, but we gave our all," he said.
Romania best result at an European championship was reaching the quarter-finals in 2000.
