Netherlands defender Daley Blind has warned his teammates to be vigilant against a Turkey side buoyed by substantial fan support in their Euro 2024 quarter-final on Saturday.

With approximately three million Turkish residents in Germany, the matches have seen fervent and raucous atmospheres created by Turkish supporters. As one-time winners in 1988, the Netherlands will face Turkey in Berlin, competing for a spot in the semi-finals against either England or Switzerland.

“It will feel like an away match, I think, with the Turks there en masse,” said Blind in a press conference on Thursday.

“They are passionate, and it will be an emotional match. We have to be on guard and well-prepared.”

Turkey’s fans have been celebrating long into the night after their victories over Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Austria in the last 16 on Tuesday.

“They will probably make a lot of noise, we should not be surprised by that,” Blind added.

“The key is to channel the right emotion and passion on the pitch and use good positional play at times to silence them.”

Blind acknowledged that the Netherlands have been fortunate with their draw, facing Romania in the last 16 and now Turkey, compared to some other countries.

“We have been pretty lucky after the group stage; there’s no need to deny that,” the former Manchester United and Ajax defender further said.

“Look at the opponents other countries have faced. But on the other hand, smaller countries can make it hard for the bigger ones.”

Blind, who did not appear in the group stage for the Netherlands, made a brief substitute appearance for his 108th cap as they beat Romania 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals.

“My reserve role is taking some getting used to,” said Blind, who has played the fifth most matches for his country of all time.

“It’s also a challenge now to keep my teammates on their toes. As a player, you want to play every game, but it’s the coach’s choice. I still find it a great honour to play for the Dutch national team.”