Sport | Football Merih Demiral scored a brace and Mert Gunok delivered a stunning last-gasp save as Turkey ousted Austria to advance through to the quarter-finals at Euro 2024 . Former Juventus defender Demiral netted from corners after just 57 seconds - the fastest goal in the history of knockout football at the European Championship - and before the hour mark as Vincenzo Montella’s Group F runners-up reached the last eight of a major international tournament for the first time since 2008 in the Leipzig rain on Tuesday night. Fancied Austria hit back in a thrilling contest through half-time substitute Michael Gregoritsch and dominated much of the second period, but ultimately could not replicate the sort of performance that saw them finish above both France and the Netherlands to surprisingly top a tough Group D.
It was only their third defeat of the Ralf Rangnick era so far and came just four months after Austria had demolished Turkey 6-1 in a heavily one-sided friendly beatdown in Vienna, with Gregoritsch looking certain to force extra time with a header in the final seconds before being denied in incredible fashion by Turkish goalkeeper Gunok, whose stellar stop drew instant comparisons with England great Gordon Banks’ famous save to deny Brazil icon Pele at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Turkey will now move on to play the Netherlands - who brushed aside Romania 3-0 earlier in Munich - in the final quarter-final tie at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on Saturday night, with.
