Holland claimed a 5-4 shoot-out win over Sweden to set up a semi-final clash with Euro 2004 hosts Portugal after 120 minutes failed to produce a goal in Faro.
Both teams failed to create many clear-cut chances in normal time though Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic saw a shot cleared off the line and his Holland counterpart Ruud van Nistelrooy twice came close.
The match really livened up in extra time when first Chelsea-bound Arjen Robben's shot was spilled onto the post by Sweden keeper Andreas Isaksson, before van Nistelrooy had the ball in the net only to be flagged offside.
The Swedes then hit the woodwork twice, first when Henrik Larsson's rising shot clipped the bar and then when Fredrik Ljungberg's shot cannoned back off the post as the match went to penalties.
Ibrahimovic missed the fifth penalty of the shoot-out to hand Holland the initiative but Philip Cocu returned the favour to leave things squared up at 3-3.
Both sides then netted their fifth penalties but when Olof Mellberg saw his effort saved by Edwin van der Sar, Robben stepped up to send Holland into the last four.
Holland coach Dick Advocaat said: "We're very, very happy about the result because the expectation in Holland was not that high when we started. In that way, it was quite emotional for everybody."
Sweden coach Lars Lagerback said: "I wouldn't call it a lottery, but it's really, really small margins and you feel that when you go into a penalty shoot-out and lose it."
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