NETHERLANDS vs TURKEY: The two sides meet in Berlin and could potentially face England in the last four, and the Dutch boss is in a confident mood before the game
Ronald Koeman is confident his Netherlands side can silence the deafening noise of the Turkish fans in Berlin.
Turkey supporters are expected to turn out in huge numbers in the German capital, and left-back Ferdi Kadioglu has said he believes the atmosphere will be like an Istanbul home game. Koeman insists that he and his players will be ready for the occasion though, largely because they’ve all been through it before.
“I think a lot of players, and myself included, have experience of playing against Turkish teams and the atmosphere is always great,” said Koeman. "But if we keep the ball then they will become quiet.
"Hopefully that happens, but we need to be cool, be business-like, play our game and be very focused. But they are an opponent who are very enthusiastic and can keep the ball well.”
Defender Denzel Dumfries added: “We know what we can expect in terms of atmosphere, but it is nice.
“It’s probably more difficult to hear each other, but it’s just important that we stay in agreement with each other and stay responsible. In this tournament we’ve also seen how great our fans are, and that’s really a huge boost for us too.”
Koeman hopes that his side are building towards a crescendo in the competition after breezing past Romania last time out, with a potential semi-final against England on offer.
But the former Southampton and Everton boss - who confirmed Manchester City ’s Nathan Ake is fit after he went off against Romania - says the struggles of Gareth Southgate ’s side are an example of how difficult the tournament is.
Koeman said: “We started really well with a win against Poland, then a draw against France, then a bad day against Austria, then the last match we were at a really good level. If we keep that level it can be a good tournament for us.
“But every match is different. All the big teams have struggled, even England needed to score in the last second (against Slovakia), Portugal won on penalties, you have to fight for it. But the last game gave us a lot of confidence, but we need to keep that level.”
One man helping maintain standards in the Dutch camp is the former Manchester United defender Daley Blind. Now 34, Blind played 34 times as he helped Girona to a first ever Champions League qualification last season.
But he has been largely consigned to the sidelines in Germany, with his stoppage time cameo against Romania his only appearance so far. He’s still enjoying himself though, and is acting as a valuable support act for the squad.
"It's different, and it takes some getting used to,” he said. “In this role, you try to help your team-mates, keeping them sharp and motivated. Some have it hard at times.
"You want to play yourself, of course, and I try to be a helping hand where necessary. I knew what my role would be after speaking to the coach before the tournament started.”