Spain, one of the favorites to win the 2024 European Football Championship (EURO 2024) hosted by Germany, faced off against Germany. The match was held at Stuttgart Arena and was said to be an early final, with Spain winning 2-1 with a goal in the last minute of extra time to advance to the semi-finals.
Spain took the lead early in the second half with a goal from Daniel Olmo in the 51st minute. Germany had a clear chance in the 77th minute with Niklas Füllkrug, but they did not allow a direct goal. The “Pansers” stepped up the pressure in the final minutes and managed to draw the tie with Florian Wirtz in the 89th minute. The match ended 1-1 in normal time and went into extra time. The “Matadors” took the lead with a goal from Mikel Merino in the 119th minute of extra time and won the game. Daniel Carvajal was sent off in the 120th minute of the Spain match after receiving a red card.
Spain will face the winner of the match between Portugal and France in the semi-finals.
The last minute of the match
The first 30 minutes of the game were marked by tough German football and a battle for supremacy in the midfield, but as time went on Spain began to make their presence felt. Daniel Olmo, who came on in place of the injured Pedri thanks to the intervention of Toni Kroos, was the name to lead the team.
Germany stepped up the pressure after the goal, and the home team held their ground against a solid Spanish defence, securing a draw with Florian Wirtz, who managed to take the game into extra time after Niklas Füllkrug’s goal hit the post.
Spain scored a goal in extra time in the head-to-head match, and while everyone was waiting for the match to go to penalties, Mikel Merino stepped onto the stage as the man of the moment who led his team to the semi-finals.
Key moments of the match
In the first minute, Pedri received the ball from Alvaro Morata’s pass and Manuel Neuer managed to control the ball and send it towards the goal from the penalty arc.
In the 12th minute, Nico Williams took a shot from outside the penalty area and the ball went wide to the left of the goal.
In the 17th minute, Fabian Ruiz received the ball from Lamine Yamal and sent the ball towards the goal from the penalty arc, but it went over the goal.
In the 21st minute, Kai Havertz headed the ball, which Unai Simon controlled and Joshua Kimmich sent into the penalty area from the right.
In the 23rd minute, Manuel Neuer managed to control the ball after Aymeric Laporte shot from outside the penalty area.
In the 25th minute, after Toni Kroos took a free kick on the right wing, Jonathan Tah came into the penalty area but was unable to take a shot as he wanted, with Unai Simon managing to control the ball.
In the 35th minute, Kai Havertz received the ball in the penalty area after a long pass from Antonio Rüdiger, and Unai Simon managed to control the ball.
In the 39th minute, Manuel Neuer managed to clear Daniel Olmo’s powerful shot from outside the penalty area.
In the 45th minute, Lamine Yamal took a shot from outside the penalty area and Manuel Neuer managed to control the ball.
In the 47th minute, Alvaro Morata received a pass from Lamine Yamal in the penalty area and sent the ball over the goal.
Goal! Spain took the lead in the 51st minute with a goal from Daniel Olmo. After receiving the ball just inside the penalty area after a pass from Lamine Yamal, Olmo fired the ball from near the penalty spot into Manuel Neuer’s right-hand corner.
In the 64th minute, Toni Kroos received a corner kick from the right side and crossed the ball, which Niklas Füllkrug headed into the penalty area, but the ball went over the goal.
In the 70th minute, Robert Andrich received the ball from Niklas Füllkrug and sent it towards the goal from the penalty arc, but Unai Simon managed to clear the ball from a corner kick.
In the 72nd minute, Niklas Füllkrug headed in a cross from Antonio Rüdiger who entered the penalty area from the right side, but the ball went wide to the right of the goal.
Germany came close to scoring in the 77th minute when Niklas Füllkrug reacted to Florian Wirtz’s pass and hit the post from close range.
Goal! In the 89th minute, Germany equalized with a goal from Florian Wirtz. After picking up a header from Joshua Kimmich in front of him, Florian Wirtz fired a shot from the right side of the penalty area, which hit the far post and went into the net.
In the 90th minute, Thomas Muller received a cross from Joshua Kimmich from the right side in the penalty area, but the ball hit the front post and went just wide to the right of the goal.
Goal! In the 119th minute, Spain took the lead again with a goal from Mikel Merino. Daniel Olmo crossed from the left and the midfielder rose well into the penalty area to head the ball into Manuel Neuer’s right-hand corner.
RED CARD! 120′ Spain are down to 10 men. During a double fight in midfield, Dani Carvajal receives a yellow card from Anthony Taylor for a tackle on Jamal Musiala. It is the player’s second yellow card of the game, so Dani Carvajal is sent off with a red card.
