The national teams of the Netherlands and England will play for the final of the European Championship. Before the tournament, the attack was considered one of the trump cards of Gareth Southgate’s team. The Netherlands were considered a shadow favourite. But already at the Euro itself, England’s attack had a hard time creating chances. But the Netherlands began to shine. Their main star was Cody Gakpo. The striker spent an uneven 2023/2024 season at Liverpool, which is why many people forgot about his high level. But at the Euro, Gakpo is incredible. Cody is a contender for the title of top scorer and the award for best player of the tournament. Why did the 25-year-old striker reveal himself so dramatically?
The broadcast of the match between the Netherlands and England in the Russian Federation is available in the Okko online cinema.
In the Dutch national team, Gakpo plays in his favourite position.
In 53 games this season for Liverpool, Gakpo has scored 16 goals and provided six assists. Not the worst statistic. But not at the level of a Premier League/Champions League/Euro League star. In order to give more, it is important that the player finds a comfortable place on the pitch. This was Gakpo’s problem. While in the Dutch national team he is trusted with a place on the left flank of the attack, in Liverpool he rarely played in this position. Jurgen Klopp mainly used Cody in central attack and sometimes even in midfield.
Cody Gakpo
Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
In February 2024, the now ex-Liverpool manager admitted the reason for Gakpo’s weak play: “Yes, at various times we talked about whether Cody could play as a midfielder for us. Is this his position? I would say no. Some defensive responsibilities that he wasn’t used to sapped his confidence. You could tell.”
Opta calculated that Gakpo spent 3,015 minutes on the pitch in the 2023/2024 season. Cody spent 58% of his playing time in the centre of attack, 13% on the right flank of the attack, 10% in midfield and in his native position of left winger, just 17%.
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The main player on the left in Liverpool’s attack is Luis Diaz. The Colombian is currently making waves at the Copa America. It is even more interesting how new coach Arne Slot will resolve the dilemma: two excellently fit footballers for one position. And the British media are still discussing the possible transfer to Liverpool of Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, who also plays on the left in attack. In general, the club did not (and will?) consider Cody as the main left winger. But in the Dutch national team, of course. Coach Ronald Koeman said the same after the Euro 16 match against Romania (3-0).
Ronald Koeman
head coach of the Netherlands national team
“His position is on the left flank. Cody is really dangerous if he is in a one-on-one situation with a right-back. He can play on the wing, move, he has different qualities, he is strong. At the Euros, Cody is playing at an excellent level. He is arguably our most important player and I hope the others can reach that level. Yes, Cody can play as a striker, but he has shown that he is more dangerous on the left wing.”
The heat map shows how Gakpo likes to operate: start on the left flank, receive the ball, move into the centre and shoot. The school of another former Dutch winger, Arjen Robben (only he played on the right and moved under his left foot).
HEAT MAP
Gakpo’s goals in the tournament are another indicator of his playing style. In the opening round of the group stage match against Poland, he received the ball on the left midfield, approached the goal and fired a long-range shot.
The full Euro 2024 match broadcast and highlights are available on Okko.
In Round 3 against Austria, Gakpo received the ball already in the box, worked it, moved a little closer to the goal and shot.
MATCH WITH AUSTRIA
Photo: frame from the broadcast.
An identical goal: against Romania in the round of 16. Again the situation was when Cody received the ball on the left, shook the Romanian defender and shot from 13-15 meters.
MATCH WITH ROMANIA
Photo: frame from the broadcast.
Gakpo not only scores, but also provides assists. In the match against Romania, already in the second half, he fought with Radu Dragusin, beat the Tottenham defender and provided an assist for Doniell Malen. Cody showed physical strength (enhanced, of course, in the Premier League) as well as the ability to make the right decision in the shortest possible time.
MATCH WITH ROMANIA
Photo: frame from the broadcast.
MATCH WITH ROMANIA
Photo: frame from the broadcast.
And in the match against Turkey in the quarter-finals, Gakpo scored the second goal for the Netherlands. Denzel Dumfries passed the ball into the box from the right flank and from the opposite side Cody advanced towards Mert Günok’s goal. As he fell, Hakpo tried to make a pass, but Mert Muldur got ahead of him. Unfortunately for the Turks, he cut the ball into his own net. The goal was the result of a cool action by Gakpo, which influenced Muldur’s composure.
The full Euro 2024 match broadcast and highlights are available on Okko.
Gakpo: the heart of the Dutch attack
An important statistical point is that Gakpo is the leader of the Euro scoring race. Cody has scored three goals and shares the top spot with Ivan Schranz (Slovakia), Jamal Musiala (Germany) and Georges Mikautadze (Georgia). And only Gakpo can add to the scorer’s tally; the rest have left the tournament.
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At the same time, Cody is far from being the most eye-catching player at the Euros. He averages 2.6 shots per game (20th). In comparison, Kylian Mbappé shoots on goal five times per game. Moreover, until last night, Cody was the leader in goals + assists (3 + 1), sharing the front line with Mikautadze (3 + 1) and a pair from the Spanish national team: Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo (both – 2 + 2). But the latter had already beaten the Dutchman, scoring the winning goal against France.
What else is good about Gakpo? For example, he ranks first in expected assists (1.8), third in shots on goal (8) and pre-goal actions (3). Cody is also in the top 10 for forward actions into the opponent’s penalty area (11, fourth), forward passes received (49, fifth), key passes (11, eighth) and pre-strike actions (19, 10). He is also 17th in key passes (2.2).
Cody Gakpo
Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
Interestingly, Gakpo is only the third Dutch national team player in history to score more than three goals in two major tournaments (World Cup 2022, Euro 2024). Until now, only Johnny Rep (1974 World Cup and 1978 World Cup) and Dennis Bergkamp (1992 European Championship, 1994 World Cup and 1998 World Cup) had managed to do so.
On the eve of the match, Cody congratulates England and Jude Bellingham in particular.
Cody Gakpo
Forward of the Netherlands national team
“Obviously both teams can play a bit better. But if you win, nothing else matters. We know England are very good when it comes to penalties. I hope that if it comes to a tie, we win. Bellingham is having a very good season. He is a world-class player who we have to keep a close eye on. But I think they have other quality players. We also have a very good team.”
Gakpo is the best player of the two teams at the Euros. And England need to solve the puzzle of how to stop the Dutch winger, who will start the match in his favoured position on the left in attack.
