The Netherlands won the men's hockey tournament at Paris 2024 on Thursday, dramatically beating arch-rivals Germany 3-1 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw in regular time.

Earlier in the day, India beat Spain 2-1 to clinch the bronze medal.

Currently ranked No. 1 in the world, the Netherlands had widely been considered favorites before the men's hockey had begun, but Germany had beaten them 1-0 in the pool stage, and despite the high quality of both teams, chances remained at a premium in the opening stages of the final, with both teams seemingly content to feel each other out.

In front of a capacity crowd at the Stade Yves de Manoir, which included German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Germany seemed to favor a patient build-up, with 62 percent possession over the first two quarters.

However, they rarely threatened the Netherlands' goal, save for a penalty corner and two subsequent attempts on target which Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak was equal to.

By contrast, the Netherlands looked to move the ball vertically at greater pace, but were unable to penetrate Germany's defensive line, and the score remained 0-0 at the game's halfway point.

Into the second half, the Netherlands began to turn the screw, and Koen Bijen's 38th-minute effort was kept out by Germany keeper Jean-Paul Danneberg after a goalmouth scramble.

Germany had a chance of their own four minutes later, when Niklas Wellen's effort was saved by Blaak, but it was the Netherlands who took the lead at the start of the fourth quarter, when a shot from Bijen was turned in by captain Thierry Brinkman, prompting wild celebrations amid the massed ranks of orange-clad fans.

With their tails up, the Netherlands continued on the front foot, and Bijen might have doubled their lead but his effort was acrobatically cleared off the line by Germany defender Gonzalo Peillat.

The goal jolted Germany into action, and they were back on level terms just one minute later, when a penalty corner resulted in Thies Prinz slamming the ball low and hard into the bottom left corner.

With no more goals in regulation time, the gold medal would be decided on a shootout, and after the first five strikes had been saved by Blaak and Danneberg, the Netherlands edged ahead when Brinkman became the first to fire home.

Another miss from Germany was followed by Thijs van Dam putting the Netherlands 2-0 up and on the brink of glory, though they had to wait for confirmation of victory when Justus Weigand promptly scored Germany's first of the shootout.

The Netherlands would not be denied any longer though, as Duco Telgenkamp fired home the following effort to confirm the gold medal for the pre-tournament favorites.

The Netherlands now have the chance to take a clean sweep of Paris 2024 hockey golds on Friday, when they take on China in the final of the women's competition.

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