The Dutch were a man down for the bulk of the second half and ultimately faced the dire consequence of their numerical disadvantage.
Matthijs de Ligt accepts blame for Netherlands’ defeat against Czech Republic and the consequent “very sour” elimination from Euro 2020.
The contest at Ferenc Puskas Stadium was a close one, with the scoreline still reading 0-0 ten early in the second half.
However, De Ligt tipped the balance in the favor of the opponents when he denied Patrik Schick a goalscoring opportunity and got himself sent off.
Czech Republic would go on to take control of the match and score twice within less than 15 minutes to book their place in the quarter-finals of the tournament, leaving the Netherlands and De Ligt devastated.
“We actually lost because of my action, that feels very annoying. Of course this is bad,” the defender told NOS TV post-match.
“We had the game under control and then a ball comes, I let it bounce, which in hindsight was not good, I got a light push and fell, after which I handled it.
“In the end, this moment changes the game and I can’t let that happen to me. I watched the last few minutes as the team struggled. I really blame myself.
“This European Championship was a golden opportunity, but if you’re eliminated like that, it’s very painful. We did well in the group stage. Then you fly out in the last-16 against the Czech Republic. That’s very sour.”
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