Romania’s commitment was unmistakable from the very beginning, with the team pressing relentlessly while Ianis Hagi wore a head covering after sustaining a cut inside three minutes.
There was also quality on display when Dennis Man glided inside and hit a threatening effort narrowly off-target. Despite the Netherlands suffering during the early stages, they opened the scoring 20 minutes in when Cody Gakpo sparked into life and cut inside Andrei Rațiu before smashing his strike past Florin Nita at the near post.
That gave Ronald Koeman’s side a visible boost and Radu Dragusin had to rush out to block Tijjani Reijnders block, with Stefan de Vrij heading into the side netting from the ensuing corner.
Dragusin continued to valiantly fight back against the building Dutch pressure, putting in an impressive tackle on Memphis Depay and masterfully cutting out Denzel Dumfries’ cutback.
There was still a blow for the Tricolorii as Vasile Mogos’ first Euros appearance ended early following a collision with Dumfries, but a mistake at either end went unpunished by Xavi Simons and Denis Dragus before the break.
Reijnders burst through Romania shortly after the restart but saw his strike blocked by the sprawling figure of Bogdan Racovițan, and it wasn’t long until a superb Andrei Ratiu tackle and desperate Romanian defending denied Depay.
The Oranje craved a second goal, yet that continued to evade them as Virgil van Dijk’s header went behind off the post and Gakpo’s instinctive would-be goal was ruled out for offside.
An intelligent Depay free-kick and a Joey Veerman attempt both drifted marginally wide to keep an equaliser tantalisingly close for a Romania side that refused to waver.
Gakpo eventually forced that buffer as he determinedly got past Dragusin and laid the ball off for Donyell Malen to convert. Malen then embarked on a blistering run and finished clinically to add an extra layer of gloss to the scoreline as the Netherlands earned their first Euros knockout win since 2004.
Romania’s campaign will be remembered with pride as they progressed past the group stage for the first time since 2000, but they now go home having lost two of their last three.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)
