Spain booked their spot in the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship after defeating host nation Germany in extra-time.
EURO 2024
Result: Spain 2-1 Germany
Date: 05 July 2024
Venue: Stuttgart Arena
Spain kept the same side that thrashed Georgia in the previous round, as Lamine Yamal and Neco Williams flanked Alvaro Morata upfront.
Germany, on the other hand, also did not tamper with their attack after victory over Denmark, as Kai Havertz continued in his false number nine role supported by Jamal Musiala, Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane.
La Roja were on the front foot in the early exchanges and Yamal had the first sight of goal on 14 minutes after his shot in the box flashed past the near post, with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer seemingly beaten.
Die Mannschaft waited for their moments to attack and their first opportunity emerged ten minutes before the break after Havertz created space well after drifting past his marker but his curler was relatively easy for shot-stopper Unai Simon.
Spain finished the first stanza the strongest after Dani Olmo forced a great save out of Neuer towards the interval but both sides needed to be more clinical from the break.
Julian Nagelsmann was the first to react for their lack of threat upfront as Sane was replaced by Florian Wirtz.
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However, Spain were the ones who emerged from the interval with a killer instinct, as six minutes later Olmo broke the deadlock with a low diagonal finish on the edge of the box after a cut-back by Yamal.
Nagelsmann had to go for broke even from the hour-mark as out-and-out striker Niclas Fullkrug came on for shadow forward Gundogan.
Germany showed sense of urgency with 20 minutes to go as Robert Andrich came close to levelling matters with a cracking shot in the box that brought the best out of Simon.
Die Mannschaft kept on coming as five minutes later Fullkrug also almost levelled matters with a sweeping shot in the box that came off the base of the post.
After Havertz missed a glaring chance in the last ten minutes with a lob that sailed over an open goal.
Wirtz eventually equalised for Germany in the last minute with a low volley in the box after a flicked header by Joshua Kimmich and extra-time was needed.
The sides were quiet early in the first stanza of extra-time with some tired legs and the game only came to life again prior to switching sides after Mikel Oyarzabal came close with a long range effort that missed the far post by a whisker.
The game was there for the taking in the closing stages of extra-time and Mikel Merino snatched the lead for Luis de la Fuente's men at the death with a well executed header following a cross by Olmo.
Fullkrug almost forced the game to penalties for Germany with a free header in added time that missed agonizingly wide.
Meanwhile, Spain finished with ten men after Dani Carvajal got a second booking in the tail end of extra-time and was sent off.
