Netherlands 0-2 Czech Republic: 5 talking points as Oranje get knocked out in Round of 16 | UEFA Euro 2020
Netherlands crashed out of Euro 2020 after a shock 2-0 loss to Czech Republic in a Round-of-16 game in Budapest. Tomas Holes and Patrik Schick scored in the second half after Matthijs de Ligt was sent off for the Oranje.
Both sides played out a lively opening stanza without coming close to scoring. De Ligt denying Antonin Barak with a last-ditch block was arguably the best chance for either team in that period.
However, the Netherlands centre-back was sent off just ten minutes after the restart for a clear obstruction of the ball with his hand. After that Czech Republic took control of the game.
Holes put the Czechs in front after heading a cross from Tomas Kalas from close range. He then punished the Netherlands for a defensive mistake by putting Schick through on goal.
Following their win over the tournament favourites, Czech Republic will now face Denmark in the quarter-finals in Baku on Saturday. On that note, here are the five key talking points from the game:
#5 Czech Republic produce the first real upset of Euro 2020
Czech Republic have produced the first real shocker of Euro 2020. While there have been a few surprise results along the way - Hungary drawing against both France and Germany, Scotland holding England, and Finland beating Denmark, none of them counted as a major upset.
But Czech Republic knocking out a European powerhouse like the Netherlands is truly an upset. The odds were stacked firmly against them. But Jaroslav Silhavy's team had other ideas and scripted the most unexpected result of the competition on the back of a truly incredible performance.
#4 Netherlands' De Ligt goes from protagonist to villain
Matthijs de Ligt had quite a game. He produced an excellent, last-ditch block in the first half to deny Antonin Barak but left them in the lurch after the break with a blatant hand-ball that got him sent off.
The Netherlands defender, while tussling for the ball with Schick near the Dutch box, palmed it away. The referee reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and turned his yellow into a red for the young Dutchman.
That was a turning point in the game, as the Netherlands played over half an hour with a numerical disadvantage, something the Czech Republic made the most of.