Germany was knocked out of EURO 2024 after losing 2-1 to Spain in extra time in the quarter-finals.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair with Spain seeing more of the ball. Both teams had their fair share of chances, with the best coming to Kai Havertz, whose header was easily saved by Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon. Apart from that the opening 45 minutes were a rather tense affair, the biggest point being, Antonio Rüdiger will miss the semi-finals after getting a yellow card.
Spain was the better team for the majority of the second half and was rewarded when Dani Olmo converted a Lamine Yamal cutback. This kicked Germany into gear and they had several good chances in the second half to equalise with substitute Niclas Füllkrug hitting the post, Havertz miscalculating a lob and forcing several good saves from Simon once again. The breakthrough finally came when Florian Wirtz equalised with a half-volley from close range taking the game to extra time.
Extra time proved to be a tense affair with no team really wanting to expose themselves. The best chance of the first half fell to Wirtz whose shot just missed the post before half-time. The second half will be summed up by a potential handball against Spain left-back Marc Cucurella which could have awarded Germany a penalty, however, Füllkrug was also in an offside position. The dagger came right at the end of the game when Mikel Merino headed in the winner to all but send Spain through. A Dani Carvajal red card could not change the outcome of the game.
The loss brings to an end Toni Kroos’ illustrious career, while the international futures of Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer will also likely be up in the air.
Spain will face the winner of Portugal or France in Munich next week.
Germany Player Ratings
Manuel Neuer (6) – Couldn’t do much for the goal and didn’t have much to do for most of the game. Possibly Neuer’s last game for Germany. Jamie Allen
Joshua Kimmich (7) – Did fantastic for the Germany goal and did well to stop Nico Williams Jr with the help of Rüdiger. JA
Antonio Rüdiger (7) – Germany’s best player this tournament. Made countless blokes but just couldn’t jump high enough for Spain’s winner. JA
Jonathan Tah (5) – Just not at it today, positionally again Tah was left wanting. JA
David Raum (5) – Wasn’t good enough going forward today. Was replaced by Mittelstädt who did better. JA
Emre Can (2) – Got the nod ahead of Robert Andrich, which immediately raised eyebrows. Struggled with Spain’s press and his first touch was usually followed by a challenge after losing possession. Considering he wasn’t even called up until the withdrawal of Aleksandar Pavlović, an extremely odd decision by Nagelsmann to start the Dortmund man. Daniel Pinder
Toni Kroos (5) – One of his first involvements was to stop Pedri from transitioning the ball, forcing the Spaniard off with an injury. Germany’s best midfielder on the night tried to rally the troops, but was another player who struggled despite being Germany’s best player on the ball. DP
Leroy Sané (4) – On the attacking front he did not really do a lot, he spent most of his time helping out Joshua Kimmich when it came to defending Spain’s Nico Williams. Jack Meenan
Ilkay Gündogan (3) – Struggled with the pace of the game and couldn’t assert himself. Slowed Germany down during the transitions, and was ultimately replaced before the hour mark. A disappointing performance from the Barcelona man, who did an excellent job at making forward runs against Scotland and Hungary but was absent tonight against Spain. DP
Jamal Musiala (5) – Was unable to influence the game in any capacity and was absent for the majority of the game. Did come to life more in extra-time but was still unable to leave his mark on the game. JM
Kai Havertz (7) – Germany’s best player of the game as he was very active in attack. Had several great chances in front of the goal, including a header saved by Unai Simon and a miss calculated lob. JM
Others: Robert Andrich (5), Florian Wirtz (6) Niclas Füllkrug (6), Maximilian Mittelstädt (5), Thomas Müller (-), Waldemar Anton (-)
GGFN | News Desk
