The Netherlands, after a less-than-stellar group stage performance at the European Championship, will face Romania in the round of 16 in Munich on Tuesday. The Dutch finished third in their group, suffering a loss to Austria in Berlin, but ultimately avoided a potential clash with England and secured a matchup with Romania in the first knockout round.
Romania, ranked 40 places below the seventh-placed Netherlands in the FIFA rankings, has a history of tough competition. They have only won two out of 19 games across their six Euro finals appearances. In head-to-head matchups, Romania has only triumphed once in 14 encounters against the Dutch, with 10 losses. Their lone victory was a Euro 2008 qualifier, won 1-0 in Constanta. The last meeting between the two teams was an international friendly in 2017, where the Netherlands emerged victorious with a 3-0 scoreline. Despite their lower ranking, Romania’s historical performance against the Netherlands suggests a potential challenge for the Dutch, urging them to approach the match with caution.
