The Round of 16 match of EURO 2024 between the Netherlands and Romania was expected to be highly intense and fierce. However, with one pivotal factor, the Netherlands swept aside the Group E leaders—Cody Gakpo.

In the first 15 minutes of the match, Romania completely dominated possession and created clear opportunities. But it took just one moment of heroics from Cody Gakpo to derail the plans of the yellow-clad team.

In the 20th minute, Gakpo dribbled uncomfortably before cutting inside and executing a shot into the near corner. Romania’s goalkeeper Nita momentarily failed to close the angle and immediately paid the price. Gakpo’s goal can be considered the decisive turning point in the Netherlands vs Romania showdown.

Gakpo left an immense mark in this match. Statistical site Whoscored gave him a rating of 9 for his performance, representing Liverpool’s star. Besides his crucial 20th-minute goal, Gakpo also showcased brilliant dribbling and assisted Malen to double the lead in the 83rd minute.

With his goal against Romania, Cody Gakpo has now scored his third goal in this EURO tournament. Thanks to this, the young Dutch star matches the achievements of Georges Mikautadze (Georgia), Jamal Musiala (Germany), and Ivan Schranz (Slovakia), who lead the EURO 2024 Golden Boot race.

Notably, Musiala and Gakpo are the only ones among them who still have the opportunity to increase their goal tally. Meanwhile, Mikautadze and Schranz’s journeys concluded after their national teams’ exits in the Round of 16.

In this race, Gakpo clearly holds an advantage over Musiala. In the quarter-finals, the Netherlands will face the winner of the Austria vs Turkey matchup, while Musiala’s Germany will meet Spain. Furthermore, if Germany advances, they could potentially face France or Portugal in the semi-finals, having fallen into the relatively easier bracket, giving Gakpo ample opportunity to increase his goal-scoring record.

Behind them, several players have also notable achievements with two goals each, including England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, Germany’s Niclas Fullkrug and Kai Havertz, Spain’s Fabian Ruiz, and Romania’s Razvan Marin (who has been eliminated).

Among these names, Harry Kane stands out as a potential game-changer, given England’s qualification to the quarter-finals and their relatively favorable path forward.