By Austria had taken early leads in their last two matches, but this time, they found themselves on the back foot. Teenage sensation Arda Guler delivered a corner that Austrian goalkeeper Patrick Pentz failed to clear, allowing Demiral to score. This goal, clocked at just 57 seconds, set a new record as the fastest in the history of the European Championship knockout stages. Despite Austria’s strong form, particularly after their 6-1 victory over Turkey in March, their opponents were up to the challenge.
Marko Arnautovic missed a crucial opportunity to equalize when he failed to chip the ball over the goalkeeper, and Austria never managed to level the score. Just before the hour mark, Demiral headed in another superb corner from Guler, seemingly putting Turkey in command of the tie.
Substitute Michael Gregoritsch scored to reduce the deficit, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. However, Turkey’s goalkeeper Gunok made a tournament-defining save to deny Christoph Baumgartner in the final moments of the match.
Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella faced the challenge of maintaining team fluency in the absence of their suspended playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu. He succeeded, thanks to high-quality performances across the pitch. Demiral, who was named player of the match, owed his goals to Guler’s exceptional deliveries. The 19-year-old’s inswinging corners were too much for Austria to handle and were crucial to Turkey’s victory. In the closing minutes, Austria sent numerous crosses into the box, with Baumgartner’s header in the 94th minute the most dangerous. Yet, Gunok was equal to the task, making a save reminiscent of Gordon Banks’ famous stop against Pele in the 1970 World Cup.
Austria’s head coach Ralf Rangnick reflected on the match, stating, “If you’re behind with two goals, then things aren’t any easier. The team tried everything. We then scored one goal and we had enough time to achieve a draw.” He added, “It’s difficult if you have Gordon Banks in goal,” in a nod to Gunok’s incredible performance.
