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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
George Flood

'Gordon Banks-esque!' Watch Turkey goalkeeper Mert Gunok's last-gasp wonder save at Euro 2024

Turkey goalkeeper Mert Gunok had fans in disbelief as he pulled off an incredible save in the dying seconds against Austria at Euro 2024.

Vincenzo Montella’s side led 2-1 heading into second-half stoppage time of Tuesday night’s thrilling final round-of-16 contest in Leipzig, thanks to a brace from defender Merih Demiral.

Half-time substitute Michael Gregoritsch had quickly halved the deficit from an Austrian set-piece and Christoph Baumgartner later thought he had forced extra time when he connected firmly with a hopeful lofted cross to the back post from Alexander Prass and looked to plant a header across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.

However, exactly as the four minutes of added time elapsed, Besiktas veteran Gunok, 35, flew to his right in a flash and somehow managed to scoop the ball wide - leaving Baumgartner and his Austria team-mates incredulous.

Such a sublime stop instantly drew parallels with the so-called ‘Save of the Century’, produced by late England legend Gordon Banks to deny the iconic Pele during a match against Brazil at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

“That was Gordon Banks-esque,” heralded ex-Arsenal stalwart Lee Dixon in his role as a pundit on ITV’s coverage of the absorbing match between Austria and Turkey.

While England of course went on to lose 1-0 against Brazil in Guadalajara 54 years ago, Gunok’s stop secured victory for Turkey and a place in their first major tournament quarter-final since Euro 2008.

They will now move on to face the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday night after Ronald Koeman’s side brushed aside Romania 3-0 in Munich earlier on Tuesday evening.

The winners of that tie will then face the victors of England’s clash with Switzerland in Dusseldorf for a place in the final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on July 14.

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