Spain - Germany summary: score, goals, highlights | UEFA Euro 2024
Spain - Germany: as it happened
Full-time thoughts:
Spain are through to the final four of the Euros after beating Germany 2-1 after extra-time.
A dramatic Mikel Merino header put his side ahead in the 120th minute of the game after goals from Dani Olmo and Florian Wirtz saw the two sides level at the end of normal time.
It was a feisty gameplayed at levels of intensity only seen in particle accelerators, and to be honest, asking me to analyse this game is like asking me to look for Princess Diana’s face in a slice of toast.
I could probably have a go and would probably end up with a positive conclusion, but I’d never really believe it. The game was filled with crumby challenges that kept the free-flowing stuff at bay for large parts, but the fantastic talent on show, when they chose to come alive, was obvious to see.
If both teams could have gone through I don’t think anyone would have minded, but this is tournament football and it’s all got to be sorted before we devour the next game.
That's all, folks!
Thanks for joining in on the live coverage on such a fantastic game!
Joe
Here's the latest on the Pedri injury, which was the only black mark on an historic night for Spain.
Praise for Germany's performance
While they didn't have enough to make it through, there were still some very strong performances, with Joshua Kimmich the standout player in white.
The reason behind Cucurella's non-handball
If you understand this, then you've spent too much time reading guidelines.
So, we have our first semi-finalists, but who is next?
Calum is already on the case, let's hope we didn't use up all the excitement in Stuttgart!
THOMAS KIENZLE / AFP
Thank you, Toni
That's it. That was Kroos' last ever game as a professional footballer. Against the country that he calls home, Kroos bowed out of the sport that he has graced for so long, and will be dearly missed.
GAME OVER!!!!
SPAIN ARE INTO THE SEMI-FINALS OF EURO 2024
UNAI CATCHES THE BALL
Kroos to cross...
CARVAJAL RED
The defender is off and Germany have a free-kick on the left side.
Germany have time for one more attack...
Spain win a free-kick on halfway. We're well over the time.
FULLKRUG INCHES WIDE
The header skimmed the post, taking paint off as it went past!
Unai Simón was planted to the floor!
15 seconds to go.
MASSIVE FERRAN MISS!
He's alone and 1vs1 with Neuer, but the shot is terrible and 3 yards wide of goal...
HUGE BLOCK
The shots are flying in at Unai Simón's goal...
3 added minutes.
The ball was switched beautifully by Carvajal, who found Cucurella. He played to Olmo on the corner of the box and the cross into Mikel Merino was stunning, with the Real Sociedad midfielder rising high at the near post to surely send Spain into the semi-finals!
MIKEL MERINOOOOOOOOOOO
Spain are ahead!
SAVE FROM UNAI SIMÓN
Fullkrug gets in front of Nacho and forces Unai into a fantastic save at his far post to keep Spain alive!
We've got another stoppage as Nacho is down.
Olmo spins away from his man on the left wing and sends a cross into the box that is cleared.
Back underway.
Kroos is receiving treatment on the pitch.
Oyarzabal tries his luck from distance after space opens up on the edge of the box but his shot is wayward.
Cucurella goes to ground after clattering into Kimmich on the touchline.
Energy levels are dropping and the fouls are turning from calculated to sloppy and desperate.
Germany pile forward on the counter attack and have Spain scrambling. However, they just about get enough defenders back and plug the danger.
Wow, nothing has been given. I have no idea why. The ball clearly struck Cucurella's hand from Jamal Musiala's shot.
Germany are screaming for a penalty after the ball appeared to hit Cucurella's hand...
And we're off!
Germany get us going.
Ready to go again...
The final 15 minutes. If there's no deadlock broken, then we will go to the dreaded 'P' word.
But first!
The team talks on the pitch, which are always a fun part of football.
Half-time in extra-time!
Fifteen more minutes coming up...
CHANCE FOR GERMANY
So close from Wirtz, who sent a low, curling effort bending past the far post...
1 added minute.
CHANCE FOR SPAIN!
Oyarzabal lets loose from distance and sends his rocket-powered effort just wide of the far post!
Spain forced into a change:
OFF: Fabián
ON: Joselu
It looks like Fabián can't carry on.
Unai Simón smashes a cross with two strong fists but the better option would have been to catch it, as he forces his defender to boot the ball behind for a corner.
Minute 100. That's always fun.
Carvajal is booked and if Spain go through to the semi-finals, he won't be there.
Cucurella's hair bounces wildly as he's forced to sprint back and collect a pass through the lines that Muller was racing onto.
Both Fabián and Kroos are down in the middle third of the pitch...
Olmo is Spain's beating heart right now: he's the one with the magic sauce to pluck something out of nowhere. The number 10 is finding space on the edge of the box and always looking for Morata.
Carvajal gets forward and spins onto his left foot before clipping in a cross that's cleared by Rudiger. Spain are still breathing.
Dani Olmo, on the left corner of the box, tries to slide a delicious pass into the feet of Morata, but the forward can't quite get there.
Wirtz goes into the Book for Naughty Boys, which is onto three volumes now.
Spain defend the corner well but Germany continue to press hard, crushing Spain like a paper cup.
Germany fly forward and Kimmich's low, diagonalcross is met by Carvajal, who taps out for a corner.
EXTRA-TIME UNDERWAY!
La Roja are rolling.
Ready to go!
Spain to get us going.
Don't go, Toni
At least we get to see 30 more minutes from the maestro! He's been behind everything good Germany have done on the ball, and behind everything dirty they've done off it.
Full-time thoughts:
Well, well, well...
A late Germany equaliser has taken the game to extra time. Wirtz struck a bouncing ball past Unai Simón in the dying moments after Dani Olmo's fantastic rolled shot had put Spain ahead.
In all fairness, Germany deserve to be level as their response after conceding was perfect: as Spain took off their attackers their opponents began to turn the screw, and on the balance of play certainly didn't deserve to lose over the 90.
FULL-TIME!!!
Extra-time, here we come!
AHH!!!! GERMANY COME SO CLOSE
Muller nearly wins it with the last kick of normal time as his shot flashes just past the post!
We're into the final minute of the game.
Andrich goes down near his own goal but the Spain players want a handball. Not given.
A huge shout for a free-kick/penalty as Oyarzabal is shoved over by... you guessed it!
Kroos again came in hard but Anthony Taylor said no foul.
4 added minutes.
A cross from the left to the far post was headed back from the byline towards the edge of the six yard box, where Wirtz was waiting to hit the ball on the bounce past Unai Simón!
Spain's players can't believe it...
Carvajal dives like a salmon to head the ball behind goal for a corner after another cross is fired in. Spain hanging on...
SAVE!
The ball is sailed in towards the far post and Unai gets down well to push Havertz's header behind!
A push from Nacho on Fullkrug sees the German crash to the deck and a free-kick is given on the edge of the box.
Fabián tries his luck from distance but fires high over the goal.
HUGE CHANCE FOR GERMANY
It's suicidal from Unai Simón: his goal kick is sensationally scuffed and lands at the feet of Havertz, who goes for the chip that lands agonisingly over the frame of the goal.
Wirtz tries to jink past Carvajal, who stands strong, and the German blasts his near post shot wide and into the side netting.
Sensational play from Fabián, who slides into the fifth dimension and pops up on the other side, past the three players marking him.
He plays into Oyarzabal inside the box but Germany defend well, clearing the danger.
Germany sub:
OFF: Tah
ON: Müller
More Spain changes:
OFF: Nico Williams, Morata
ON: Merino, Oyarzabal
This Germany shirt does not deserve to go out at this stage, but you have to take your chances when they fall...
Wow, what a moment. Wirtz got in behind Cucurella as Germany pounced and Nacho couldn't cope with the physicality of the huge Easter Island statue.
OFF THE POST!
Fullkrug got on the end of the cross from the right, tumbling as he made contact. The ball wooshed past Unai Simón in goal and cannoned off the near post!
Fifteen minutes to go. We are officially entering 'final stages' territory.
Neuer dives at the looping cross but his contact is poor. The eventual German clearance instantly removes the nerves from the fans who feared the worst.
Mittelstadt gets a booking for the challenge. He can't believe it.
Ferran wins a free-kick on the right corner of the box after he was brought down following a race between himself and Mittelstadt.
A massive block from Carvajal inside the box stops a Havertz shot reaching Unai Simón. Fantastic defending.
Less than 20 minutes to go...
Unai Simón is forced into a save from distance but the replay shows there was a German offside in the buildup.
A nice move down the left from Spain sees Nico skip past Kimmich but he looses control of the ball inside the box and it runs away from him.
Toni Kroos finally goes into Anthony Taylor's Book for Naughty Boys, after a late challenge on Olmo.
Gasps from the crowd as Unai Simón takes just a second too long before deciding to race off his line and collect a loose touch from Fullkrug. Germany broke at pace and looked lively and Spain were scrambling.
Germany have Spain a little bit pinned back here: the red shirts can't keep hold of the ball as their opponents press and turn towards Unai Simón in goal. It's not danger alarms quite just yet, but a string of 20 passes would certainly help...
Spain change:
OFF: Lamine Yamal
ON: Ferran Torres
Well, Fullkrug's introduction has quite rightly changed Germany's plan: the crosses are dropping from all sides like meteorites, all aimed at his head.
Wirtz finds a yard of space on the edge of the box but his shot is never troubling Unai Simón and flies wide.
An hour of play gone and Germany are just beginning to pick up the pace.
Spain break away - there's a lot of space behind the left-back - but Olmo's cross is poor into Morata and the danger is cleared.
More Germany changes:
OFF: Raum, Gundogan
ON: Fullkrug, Mittelstadt
Andrich goes into the book for a late tackle.
It's fast, free-flowing playground football from the red shirts now. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams send white shirts spinning as they criss-cross on the edge of the box, but a loose touch sees Germany recover.
The game is broken. Spain speed forward with Nico but his through towards Olmo is just too heavy and Neuer collects.
ALMOST OFF THE LINE! GERMANY!
Wow, Germany come flying out from kick-off and a left-sided cross is almost spun into the goal, but Cucurella clears!
The ball is played out wide to Lamine Yamal who sends a low cross in which is met by Dani Olmo. He slides a perfect, first-time effort low into the left corner of the goal!
Morata goes down in the centre circle after a cheeky push in the back from Tah.
Pedri is limping very heavily as he steps out of the tunnel and onto the bench. His knee is bandaged from top to bottom.
Andrich goes for goal from distance, looking to catch Unai Simón out, but his shot curls past the far post.
OVER THE BAR!!!
WHAT A CHANCE FOR MORATA!!!
Lamine Yamal plays the ball into Morata's feet on the edge of the six-yard box. He spins past his man and cracks the shot high and wide! Unbelievable!
Thirty seconds in and Wirtz brings down Laporte. As you were.
AND WE'RE OFF!
Spain get us going for the second half.
Half time changes:
GERMANY
OFF: Sané, Can
ON: Wirtz, Andrich
SPAIN
OFF: Le Normand
ON: Nacho
It looks like changes are incoming
Both sides have players who look ready to come on for the second period.
Almost ready to go again...
Get your popcorn! Here come the teams!
Rodri has probably been Spain's best player - again
He's also done well to find Nico Williams on the left and has played him into space a few times so far.
Pedri went off injured and the latest news is a possible ligament sprain.
Here's the full report from Calum.
Changes at half-time?
I'd be surprised, personally, as the game is finely balanced between the two sides. Later on we may see some movement off the bench but for now I expect the two managers to stick with what they've been doing for now.
Half-time thoughts:
It's been feisty, free-flowing and at times ferocious, but the game is so far goalless as we head into half-time.
Both teams have seen periods of domination without creating ultra-clear cut chances, but all of this comes in the context of the tension flowing through the stands and onto the grass, which has characterised the game.
Germany have put in their fair share of crunching tackles and one in particular saw Pedri go off in tears.
AND BREATHE!
Half-time in Stuttgart and I need a lie down.
Gundogan is down having a breather after taking a kick from Cucurella.
Spain are finishing the half in a strong position, it must be said. I think the bruises are finally forming on German shins.
2 added minutes? TWO?!
It's nerve-rattlingly close for Germany in their own box, as Spain try to tap, tap, tap their way through the white wall. They almost make it, but a loose touch on the right sees the move break down.
Uuuuff... Rodri tackles well and releases Nico Williams, who plays a dreadful cross towards Morata inside the box. Arms are thrown in the air in frustration.
Another foul from Kroos in the middle of the pitch and I'm beginning to think Anthony Taylor has dropped his yellow card somewhere...
We're into the final five of normal time but expect plenty of added time thanks to the WWE moves we've seen from both sides.
CHANCE! SPAIN!
A big chance goes missing after Neuer spills Olmo's drive from distance, and Morata can't control the rebound.
Questions around offside, but that was a great opportunity.
Spain are finding their groove, it seems. Nico Williams is slipping and sliding past challenges and the ball is being played across the grass with a lot more convinction.
HUGE SAVE! NEUER!
Nico Williams does a Nico Williams, skipping in from the left before whizzing a shot towards goal.
Unlike against Georgia, he goes for the low corner at the near post, and the goalkeeper pushes wide.
SAVE!
It's a wasted chance from Havertz who does superbly well to take the long ball down and find a yard on his right foot, but his shot is a weak effort and Unai Simón traps it easily enough.
Unai Simón goes to ground to collect Kimmich's low cross as the Germans come again...
Lamine Yamal breaks away but he goes down after being pulled over by Emre Can - that's quite literally child abuse. The red card odds for this game must have tumbled.
Germany are probing Spain's low block like curious aliens, but so far they're not finding a way through.
Thirty minutes played, thirty fouls comitted.
And Le Normand will take a booking for his troubles.
Guess what, dear reader? Another foul! This time it's Le Normand on Gundogan.
Ouch. David Raum is booked for a quite terrible challenge on Carvajal.
A good chance for Spain goes begging, but it's a positive move. Nico is played down the wing but his cross is too high and can't find Morata, who is piling forward.
It's headed behind for a corner. This is certainly their best spell of the game so far.
Germany have another free-kick, this time on the other side. Another chance for Kroos to send the ball in...
Germany win a free-kick on the right wing after Kimmich gets a shove in the back.
Laporte forget he's a centre-back and goes for goal from distance. Neuer saves and chuckles lightly. Bless him.
Over 20 minutes played and it both feels like 20 seconds and 20 years. Non-stop football and the tension levels are not cooling, like a bubbling volcano.
CHANCE! GERMANY!
Havertz leapshighest and connects but his header is straight at Unai Simón.
Another crunching tackle flies in from the middle of the Germany midfield and Mr Anthony Taylor waves to continue play.
The middle of the pitch is extremely packed tight with bodies all fighting for elbow room, like a sale at Primark.
It feels like we're watching the game on fast-forward: every pass is flashing to its target and every tackle is colliding at lightspeed.
OVER THE BAR!
Fabián tries his luck from distance and sends his shot whizzing over the goal!
Groans and moans from the crowd as Spain miss a great chance to take advantage of a counter attack, as Morata goes for goal from distance when he had other options.
A chance missed as Germany scrambled to find their shape.
JUST WIDE!
Lamine Yamal went low and hard and the ball zipped past the post!
Lamine Yamal will take the free-kick, just to the right of centre...
Olmo goes down on the edge of the box. Rudiger booked.
Anthony Taylor hasn't had a chance to put his whistle in his pocket. The string is wrapped tight around his wrist like a baby anaconda.
Unai Simón collects a whizzing cross from the left after Germany break away at pace. Spain got caught out in the transition there and they were lucky that Germany didn't quite know where to go with the ball as they arrived into the final third.
So, enough of the UFC, let's get back to the football. Germany are keeping hold of the ball, teasing Spain as they chase like enraged puppies.
We're back underway. Again.
OFF: Pedri
ON: Olmo
Pedri can't carry on. He's in tears on the pitch.
Eek. Pedri eats more grass and is sat on the floor. Olmo warming up.
Guys, this was meant to be the fun, free-flowing game of the two!
We're back underway. The challenges are flying in. Literally.
Luis de la Fuente and the assistant referee are having a very strongly worded conversation on the touchline. He's rightly not happy at the challenge. I think Kroos has also avoided a booking from Mr Anthony Taylor.
Wow, that's quite the challenge from Kroos, who swung a wild leg at the Barça boy. Does he want to retire now? That's an orange card in my book...
And now Pedri is down on the ground... it's a strong start from Germany on the physical front.
Cucurella is OK to carry on for now. Back underway.
We've got a stoppage in play after Cucurella takes a tumble.
CHANCE! SPAIN!
Spain start brightly and Nico plays inside from the left to Morata, who plays backwards to Pedri. The Barcelona man shoots low from the edge of the box and Neuer gets down to stop the shot.
AND WE'RE OFF!
Germany kick us off from left to right.
How are the nerves?
We're seconds away from kick-off, and the Germans will get us underway.
National anthem time...
Lyric-less Spain stand in silence before Germany give a very solid version of their anthem.
A big hug between Carvajal and Kroos in the tunnel. Don't cry, Madridistas...
Here come the players!
What a noise!
You'll be glad to know that the giant flappy Euros logo is flapping away in the middle of the pitch.
Here come the players!
Both teams are emerging from the dressing rooms and are making their way into the tunnel!
Pedri pre-game quote:
The atmosphere among us has been absolutely spectacular and we are here feeling focused and confident.
What a noise inside the stadium!
The four walls of the Stuttgart Arena are rocking as we approach kick-off!
Fifteen minutes to go!
The players have finished their warmups and have made their way into the dressing rooms for the final team talks before kick-off!
Could this be Kroos' last game as a footballer?
As we all know, Kroos is set to retire once Germany finish their Euros campaign, which means that if Spain win, it's time to hang up his boots.
His ex-Real Madrid teammate Joselu had his say on the matter: “Germany are a great team, and also the favourites to win the title. We’re hoping to retire Toni on Friday. I love Toni but I think Friday is his last game."
A reminder of the starting XIs:
In case you've just joined us, here's how the two teams are lining up today:
SPAIN XI:
GK: Unai Simón
DEF: Carvajal - Le Normand - Laporte - Cucurella
MID: Rodri - Fabián - Pedri
ATT: Lamine Yamal - Morata - Nico Williams
GERMANY XI:
GK: Neuer
DEF: Raum - Tah - Rüdiger - Kimmich
MID: Can - Kroos - Gündogan
ATT: Musiala - Havertz - Sané
Here's how Opta see the game:
They've got Spain as favourites, but only just! La Roja have been given a 38% chance of winning, while Germany are just behind with 34.2%.
That pretty much matches up with what the general public think, and I certainly can't make up my mind!
Of course, as well as following the live text coverage with us, you can get your kicks by watching it on the telly, or whatever streaming device you’ve got. Just follow the steps on the handy guide to do so, then rush back and see what’s going on over here.
ANNA SZILAGYI / EFE
What happened in the last round?
Unlike Spain who cruised through their first knockout game, Germany made a bit of meal of theirs.
Against Denmark, the Germans huffed and puffed in front of goal but could not break down the Danish defences at the home of Borussia Dortmund.
However, as normally happens with a team of such superior talent, eventually they found a way through and Kai Havertz slotted home from the spot just before the hour mark to stop fans in the stands from chewing through the tops of their fingers after there were no nails left.
It took just 15 more minutes until Denmark were breached again, this time with Jamal Musiala, who is making a name for himself as the potential player of the tournament, along with Spain’s wingers, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
Two two teams are in the tunnel, waiting to come out for their warmups!
The Germany pre-match shirt is simply sensational. This is all the analysis I have at this stage.
We saw some penalty drama in the previous round of the competition, with Portugal's Diogo Costa taking the headlines with some sensational saves.
However, what happens if the games in the quarter-finals are tied after 90 minutes?
· Two 15-minute halves of extra-time
· Penalties
For a more in-depth explainer, Roddy's got you covered.
Julian Nagelsmann pre-game quotes:
It's not a final, it's a quarter-final. We want to be one of the teams in the semi-final. Spain want to be champions as well, so it'll be a tough game.
Both teams are good in possession, have good counter-pressing qualities and can put their opponents under pressure.
Have your say!
Get involved with our live poll on who you think is going through. At the moment there's one clear winner...
If you're feeling super-brave, drop a score prediction below and I'll tell you how wrong you are.
Luis de la Fuente pre-game quotes:
It's going to be an equal game. It could have been the EURO final and I think it'll be an even game on a footballing level.
Germany always start matches strongly, so obviously we'll try and counter that. We'll try and take the initiative and go all-out from the first minute.
It's incomprehensible that Kroos is leaving football after the EUROs. We know what he does and we'll try to limit him on the pitch.
Germany XI revealed!
Jonathan Tah comes back into the side after his one-game suspension in the Round of 16. Sané also makes the XI.
Pedri or Olmo?
I’m not standing here with a big wooden spoon looking for a pot to stir, I genuinely believe this question will have floated in the mind of Luis de la Fuente in the days leading up to this game.
His wingers allow him to play a perfectly balanced 4-2-3-1: no longer do we have one winger-who’s-not-really-a-winger tucking inside to create midfield overloads, this is two pivots with a number 10.
And that’s exactly why Dani Olmo perhaps deserves a chance in behind Morata: he’s an outright number 10 while Pedri is more of an inside midfielder.
Olmo has shone in the time he’s had on the pitch at this tournament and many have suggested that we could well have seen him from the start this time round.
Alas, it's not to be, as Pedri has kept his spot in the XI. However, expect to see Olmo come on if things look tricky for La Roja.
Germany's tactics question:
Germany's interesting manager, Julian Nagelsmann, will certainly have a few tactical aces up his sleeve today for the game.
We expect them to play with 4 at the back but don't be surprised for them to switch things up and try and stifle Spain in a low block.
Spain XI revealed!
GK: Unai
DEF: Carvajal - Le Normand - Laporte - Cucrella
MID: Rodri - Fabián - Pedri
ATT: Lamine Yamal - Morata - Nico
Where is the game being played?
The wonderful Stuttgart Arena, also known as the MHPArena, is the venue for the game today.
Opened in 1993, it’s seen plenty of renovations down the years and today holds a whopping 54,000 fans inside it’s bowl.
VfB Stuttgart have used it since the mid-30s and plenty of Germany games have also been held here, meaning it’s familiar ground for the Mannschaft.
What happened in the previous game?
It was an interesting round of 16 game for Spain who played against Georgia, ultimately winning 4-1 and making it look easy - on paper.
However, the Georgians went ahead early on thanks to their characteristically blistering counter attacks that we had enjoyed so much throughout the tournament and it looked, albeit just for short while, that things could get complicated for La Roja.
However, they controlled the pressure well and managed to keep Georgia boxed into their defensive third for the majority of game, breaking the deadlock with Rodri before half-time, who struck from the edge of the box.
After half-time, the game turned completely Spain’s way, and they dominated in all areas, with Fabián getting on the scoresheet soon after the break to put them ahead.
From then on, the chances kept coming, and Nico Williams danced through a multitude of challenges to score one of the goals of the tournament and give Spain the win, but not before Dani Olmo sealed the deal at the end.
Misses next match if booked:
ESP: Carvajal, Morata, Vivian, Le Normand
GER: Andrich, Mittelstädt, Rüdiger
The other game...
The other game we’ve got today is Portugal vs France, which takes place in Hamburg. While this tie is as slippery, slimy and fast as fighting a ferret against an otter, the game afterwards will be like two post-lunch slumping sloths swinging slow arms at each other.
I’m joking, of course. While it might not be as high-octane as this first game, it’s certainly worth watching as the two teams have their own ways to win… somehow.
THOMAS KIENZLE / AFP
Who's the ref?
Get your Premier League Spotter’s guidebooks out! It’s Anthony Taylor!
Yes, the experienced Premier League official is the man with the whistle for today’s juicy tie and it’s just as well, as the intensity is going to be in the red zone for both sides for as long as the game goes on.
Germany team news:
Germany have no injuries or suspensions heading into the game, with centre-back Tah available after serving his one-game suspension.
Spain team news:
Luis de la Fuente has a full squad available to him today with no suspensions or injuries. However, two doubts do surround the team, as the fitness of both Ayoze Pérez and Nacho have been questionable in the run-up to the tie.
When is kick-off?
The game will kick off in around 90 minutes time, so stay tuned for the team news, previews and buildup.
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the AS USA live coverage of the first of the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, and what a ways we’re set to start the round!
Spain take on Germany in Stuttgart in what many people believe is a game between the two best sides at the tournament so far.
It’s Joe here to guide you through the action as it happens.