Stuttgart [Germany], it was Spain's night in Stuttgart as they overcame hosts Germany to seal their semi-final spot with a 2-1 quarter-final win at the ongoing Euro 2024 MHPArena .
The German players and fans were left speechless as they walked away from the tournament with their heads down and had only themselves to blame for all the opportunities that passed them by.
When Germany withdrew from the tournaments, the curtain fell on the career of talismanic German midfielder Toni Kroos as he bid farewell to his international career.
It was a high-voltage match, with both teams dominating the game at times throughout the 90 minutes.
Spain started the match with great intensity and recorded the first shot on goal in the second minute of the match.
Spain were dealt an early blow after Pedri was injured, forcing coach Luis de la Fuente to replace him with Dani Olmo.
Germany continued to dominate possession but struggled to make the most of it and make a significant contribution to the attacking front.
They had their first taste of a goal in the 21st minute, after Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón prevented Kai Havertz from giving Germany the lead.
Fourteen minutes later, Havertz was again on the verge of breaking the tie, but Simon stood in front of the goal. The assistant referee finally raised his flag to declare the play offside.
Before the first half ended goalless, Spain had one last chance to break the deadlock. Olmo shot and Neur deflected. The ball fell to the feet of Álvaro Morata, but defender Jonathan Tah was there to prevent him from scoring.
In the second half, Spain continued knocking on Germany's door and finally got the goal in the 51st minute.
Lamine Yamal set up the ball perfectly for Olmo, who made a late run into the box and put the ball into the back of the net with ease.
Germany, seeking an immediate response, shifted gears to return the game to equality.
With the fans firmly behind the hosts, Germany threatened the Spanish defense with arrogance. As the match inched closer to its climax, Robert Andrich forced Simon into a remarkable save.
A couple of moments later, Havertz's shot was blocked by Dani Carvajal. Fullkrug hit the post, increasing Germany's agony in their search for an equalizer.
Havertz's attempt to hit the goalkeeper over his head had too much force when the ball went over the post.
With a minute left in added time, Florian Wirtz equalized for Germany, who struck the ball with venom to find the far corner.
With the score 1-1 the game went to extra time. The first half of extra time ended with no changes in the score.
Germany almost went ahead after Fullkrug failed after an exceptional save by Simon.
When the game seemed headed to penalties, Mikel Merino, with a late magical play, found the back of the net to seal Spain's 2-1 victory. Before the final whistle, Carvajal was shown the red card after receiving his second yellow card, leaving Spain with 10 men on the field for the final moments.
The German players and fans were left speechless as they walked away from the tournament with their heads down and had only themselves to blame for all the opportunities that passed them by.
When Germany withdrew from the tournaments, the curtain fell on the career of talismanic German midfielder Toni Kroos as he bid farewell to his international career.
It was a high-voltage match, with both teams dominating the game at times throughout the 90 minutes.
Spain started the match with great intensity and recorded the first shot on goal in the second minute of the match.
Spain were dealt an early blow after Pedri was injured, forcing coach Luis de la Fuente to replace him with Dani Olmo.
Germany continued to dominate possession but struggled to make the most of it and make a significant contribution to the attacking front.
They had their first taste of a goal in the 21st minute, after Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón prevented Kai Havertz from giving Germany the lead.
Fourteen minutes later, Havertz was again on the verge of breaking the tie, but Simon stood in front of the goal. The assistant referee finally raised his flag to declare the play offside.
Before the first half ended goalless, Spain had one last chance to break the deadlock. Olmo shot and Neur deflected. The ball fell to the feet of Álvaro Morata, but defender Jonathan Tah was there to prevent him from scoring.
In the second half, Spain continued knocking on Germany's door and finally got the goal in the 51st minute.
Lamine Yamal set up the ball perfectly for Olmo, who made a late run into the box and put the ball into the back of the net with ease.
Germany, seeking an immediate response, shifted gears to return the game to equality.
With the fans firmly behind the hosts, Germany threatened the Spanish defense with arrogance. As the match inched closer to its climax, Robert Andrich forced Simon into a remarkable save.
A couple of moments later, Havertz's shot was blocked by Dani Carvajal. Fullkrug hit the post, increasing Germany's agony in their search for an equalizer.
Havertz's attempt to hit the goalkeeper over his head had too much force when the ball went over the post.
With a minute left in added time, Florian Wirtz equalized for Germany, who struck the ball with venom to find the far corner.
With the score 1-1 the game went to extra time. The first half of extra time ended with no changes in the score.
Germany almost went ahead after Fullkrug failed after an exceptional save by Simon.
When the game seemed headed to penalties, Mikel Merino, with a late magical play, found the back of the net to seal Spain's 2-1 victory. Before the final whistle, Carvajal was shown the red card after receiving his second yellow card, leaving Spain with 10 men on the field for the final moments.
