LEIPZIG: Merih Demiral pounced in each half to lead Turkey to a 2-1 victory over Austria on Tuesday and into the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 in a full-throttle affair matched in intensity by the sea of roaring red-clad supporters.
It took Turkey – who will face the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Saturday – 57 seconds to get on the scoreboard when Austria could not clear Arda Guler’s corner and the ball fell to Demiral who lashed it into the roof of the net.
Demiral doubled the Turks’ lead in the 59th minute when he rose well above the crowd to head in another corner from Guler.
Austria pulled one back seven minutes later when Stefan Posch headed Marcel Sabitzer’s corner to the back post where unmarked substitute Michael Gregoritsch fired into the roof of the net.