• LISTEN to It's All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: Why Southgate is talking ‘nonsense’ about England’s Euro 2024 draw 
• Netherlands scored twice in six minutes to come from behind and beat Turkey
• Ronald Koeman's side will take on England in their semi-final clash of Euro 2024 

A familiar shade of orange will be waiting for England in Dortmund after the Netherlands fought back from behind to put out the Turkish fire in Berlin.

Cody Gakpo scored an untidy winner, sliding in to force a low cross by Denzel Dumfries over the line at the back post where wing-back Mert Muldur thought he had been fouled by the Liverpool forward.

There was no intervention, however, and the goal put the Dutch into a lead they were able to defend through a frenzied closing spell, which included some desperate defending deep in their own penalty area.

There was a vital clearance by Micky van de Ven and a splendid save by Bart Verbruggen to foil Cenk Tosun.

Turkey refused to go quietly. They have brought fire and passion to Euro 2024 with huge resident support in Germany, and their depleted side gave it their all.

They took the lead in the first half, were close to extending it before the Netherlands fought their way back into it and summoned a late rally but Ronald Koeman’s Dutch survived, a more balanced team after the introduction of Wout Weghost at half time.

England will know this is not a brilliant orange.

After three tense and simmering quarter-finals the lid blew off this one from the very start with a riot of colour in the stands and a barrage of noise, especially from the end occupied by the passionate Turkish following.

It was the Dutch, however, who made the more coherent start. Memphis Depay created a chance for himself within seconds, burrowing into the penalty area, riding through challenges before firing over when the goal lit up for him.

Koeman’s team converted this into a spell of sustained early pressure with Cody Gakpo and Xavi Simons also threatening to penetrate and Turkey plunging straight into their familiar brand of last-ditch defending.

Vincenzo Montella was without centre-half Merih Demiral, two-goal hero of their win against Austria who was banned for two games for celebrating with a hand gesture associated with a far-right extremist organisation with links to Turkey’s ruling coalition.

Orkun Kokcu and Ismail Yuksek were also missing through suspension and six of those starting in Berlin knew a yellow card would mean missing the semi-final if they were to win. Not that it seemed to have any influence their approach. There were high speed collisions all over the pitch in a chaotic opening phase played at a relentless tempo.

Montella lined five up across the back and gave his wing-backs licence to spring out freely, with the wide attackers, teenagers Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, drifting inside. Salih Ozcan drove Turkey’s first effort of the game over from just outside the penalty area.

Abdulkerim Bardakci stretched to reach a free-kick curled into the box by Hakan Calhanoglu but was unable to direct it on target. Yildiz fired over and Turkey found a rhythm and started to dominate from midway through the first half.

Each attack was accompanied by eruptions of noise and while the frenetic pace of the contest did abate at times the wild atmosphere did not.

Then came the opening goal, headed in by Samet Akaydin from a delicious, teasing cross by Guler. It came from a corner needlessly conceded by the Dutch. Dumfries ushered the ball over the line expecting a goal kick, unaware of the deflection it had taken off Nathan Ake.

Virgil van Dijk headed the initial corner clear but only to Guler who checked onto his right foot and drifted the ball across.

Goalkeeper Verbruggen was tempted from his line only to realise the cross was spinning away from him and the Dutch were overloaded at the back post, where Fenerbache centre-half Akaydin rose from the crowd of white shirts to head into the net from close range.

 

The Netherlands, who stumbled through the group and into form with a 3-0 win against Romania, responded before half-time although without testing Mert Gunok, Turkey’s goalkeeper who made that spectacular save to preserve victory against Austria.

Steven Bergwijn darted inside from his berth on the right and fizzed a shot over. On the left, Gakpo again flickered without producing anything meaningful. Koeman’s reaction was to send on Burnley’s Wout Weghorst at half time.

Bergwijn was hauled off and Koeman’s team seemed happier with the big man leading the line. They settled quickly into the second half and Weghorst nodded one ball down towards Depay, who came sliding in at speed but could not turn it into the net.

The replays suggested Weghorst might have been offside but there was no flag and that passage of play lifted Dutch spirits. Those in orange made themselves heard. Akaydin glanced a cross by Gakpo narrowly wide of his own goal.

But the Turks broke quickly, directly and with menace. Ake, winning his 50th international cap, picked up a yellow card for a foul on Guler as they raced after a flick by Baris Yildiz. It was 30 yards out but Guler went for goal, bending it low around the defensive wall with his left foot. The 19-year-old Real Madrid forward is blessed with audacious talent on the ball.

Turkey went close against form another free kick, cleared and struck fiercely from the edge fo the penalty box by Yildiz. Verbruggen, the Brighton goalkeeper, went some way towards making amends for his indecision on the goal with a fine save to push out the low drive which came at him through a crowd of legs.

Gunok made his first save of the night to turn a mishit volley by Weghorst wide and the equaliser came from the corner. Depay took it short, picked up the return and delivered from the right. De Vrij was unmarked as he leapt from 10 yards out and found the net with a powerful header.

Six minutes later and Gakpo arrived late at the back post to force the second from a low cross by Dumfries and that would prove the decisive moment.