da jogodeouro： The Reds star was in superb form as he put Romania to the sword, scoring once and laying on an excellent assist, as Malen scored twice.
da pinnacle： Coming into the game, the Netherlands aimed to reach their first European Championship quarter-final since 2008, while Romania were seeking their first qualification for the last-eight since 2000.
The Netherlands, of course, came third in their group, while Romania won theirs, but the performances did nothing to reflect their standings.
The Dutch took the lead within 19 minutes, as Cody Gakpo cut inside from the left flank and unleashed a fierce effort into the bottom corner.
Ronald Koeman's side dominated the first half, but struggled to convert their pressure and possession into clear-cut opportunities.
In the second half, they continued to carve Romania open, with their fluid attack requiring the backline to put their bodies on the line.
Eventually, the Dutch pressure paid off, as Gakpo robbed the otherwise excellent Radu Dragusin in the box and played in Donyell Malen, who finished.
And Malen added a third in the final minute of injury time, to really rub salt into Romanian wounds.
GOAL rates Netherlands' players from the Allianz Arena…
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Bart Verbruggen (6/10):
Had barely anything to do after Romania's blitz at the start of the first half.
Denzel Dumfries (7/10):
An absolute menace to the Romania defence as he continually inverted, especially in the first half. His influence waned somewhat but made a strong case for playing in the quarter-final.
Stefan De Vrij (6/10):
Headed just wide when unmarked from a corner at 1-0. The Dutch held such a high line that he was often in midfield. Never allowed Romania to get in behind him.
Virgil van Dijk (5/10):
Continually trusted as the last man. Sloppy giveaway allowed Dragus to shoot and later went close to scoring a second with an excellent header. A mixed bag.
Nathan Ake (6/10):
Some sweeping long passes and excellent last-ditch challenges. Replaced by Van de Ven.
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Jerdy Schouten (6/10):
Played a superb pass in the buildup to Gakpo's goal and kept possession expertly. A smart midfield performance. Replaced by Veerman.
Xavi Simons (7/10):
Bizarre moment in the first half as he was found in space in the box but lost his balance and couldn't shoot. Some sensational passes and kept popping up in the pocket. Such a technically gifted player.
Tijjani Reijnders (7/10):
A tidy performance. Excellent at going box to box and one winding run in the second half almost ended in a Netherlands goal.
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Steven Bergwijn (5/10):
Gave Romania something to think about with his direct running but was subbed at half-time for Donyell Malen.
Memphis Depay (6/10):
Held the ball up well at times against Romania's behemoth Radu Dragusin. Incredible that he didn't score as he had so many chances. A genius low free-kick zipped just wide in an instructive miss; everything he did before pulling the trigger was excellent.
Cody Gakpo (8/10):
Scored in the first half, cutting in from the left flank and unleashing a fierce drive into the bottom corner. Almost added a second, forcing an excellent save after a driving run, then saw a goal ruled out by VAR, before assisting Malen's clincher.
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Donyell Malen (8/10):
Replaced Bergwijn at half-time. A threat down the right and scored twice, the second a brilliant counter-attacking run. Sure to start the quarter-final now.
Joey Veerman (6/10):
On for Schouten. Almost scored straight away, as he curled an effort just wide.
Micky van de Ven (6/10):
Replaced Ake. Barely tested.
Wout Weghorst (6/10):
Replaced Gakpo at 2-0.
Daley Blind (N/A):
Came on in injury time.
Ronald Koeman (7/10):
Koeman's Dutch side were aggressive and clever with their pressing, their movement, and their chance creation. Finishing remains an issue but had they had their shooting boots on, they might have won this game by six or seven. A fitting riposte to the criticism that followed their defeat to Austria.