After a couple of days off, EURO 2024 returned with a bang as four heavyweights fought it out for a spot in the semi-finals.
Here’s how it all went down.
What happened? 📝
Host nation Germany suffered EURO heartbreak as a 119th-minute goal saw them exit the competition 2-1 at the hands of Spain in Stuttgart.
Then, France and Portugal played out a bore 0-0 draw, but the French held their nerves to advance on penalties and reach the last four.
Player of the day 🔥
Perhaps unfortunate not to start after an impressive cameo against Georgia, Dani Olmo’s chance came sooner than most Spanish fans would have liked when he was called upon to replace the injured Pedri just seven minutes into proceedings.
However, he rose to the occasion superbly. The RB Leipzig man scored the first goal, before digging out an excellent cross deep into extra time to allow Mikel Merino to nod home the winner.
With Pedri now ruled out of the tournament, he has become a vital player for Luis de la Fuente and La Roja.
Moment of the day
Who can look past a last-minute winner? Spain and Germany looked set for penalties until Merino rose to the occasion to nod in with seconds left in extra-time.
It’s a moment he will certainly never forget.
Photo of the day 📸
Real Madrid’s past and present locked horns, with Kylian Mbappé having had posters of the veteran on his wall as a kid.
Now, he has just been part of a side that knocked Cristiano Ronaldo out of his last-ever European Championship.
Stat of the day 📊
It may not have been Toni Kroos’ best afternoon, but he was still a midfield metronome for his side as they fell to defeat. In fact, he has always been.
Toni Kroos ends his career true to form, completing more passes (76) and touching the ball more often (102) than any other player on the pitch.
Farewell to a legend of the game 👋😢#EURO2024 #ESPGER pic.twitter.com/7DkNoqqLnd
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) July 5, 2024
What this means 🤔
The games on Friday mean that one semi-final is now confirmed, with Spain taking on France on Tuesday at the Allianz Arena.
We are also likely to lose several servants of the game, with ex-Real Madrid trio Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Toni Kroos all among those who have likely played their final EURO game, and Thomas Müller admitting it was likely he had played his last game for Germany.
What they said 🗣️
Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann was left disappointed by the way his side went out, and claimed that his side needed to use the wide areas more.
“Congratulations to Spain for reaching the semi-finals. The game was too open in the first half. We were better in the second half and from the 60th minute onwards, we were clearly the better team. Our late [equaliser] was well-deserved. We conceded the winner with the last chance. Unfortunately we weren’t able to apply enough pressure on the wing.”
Meanwhile, Spain boss Luis De La Fuente hailed his side for making history.
“This is a historic night. I’m proud to be able to represent our country. How far we get, we will see, but we’re absolutely convinced that we can get very far with this team.”
And matchwinner Mikel Merino was quick to praise Dani Olmo for his contribution to the winning goal.
“I put my faith in him [Olmo], I made the run in behind Rüdiger and the ball was literally perfect. I only had to make the run, jump and co-ordinate the header. The rest is history!”
What comes next? ⏭️
Attention now turns to the other side of the draw, with England taking on Switzerland for a spot in the semi-final of the competition.
They will be joined by one of Netherlands and Turkiye, who lock horns later on Saturday.
Source Agencies
