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| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | |||||||||
|
1
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7 | |
|
2
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
|
3
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 3 | |
|
4
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 1 | |
| Group B | |||||||||
|
1
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 9 | |
|
2
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
|
3
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 2 | |
|
4
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 1 | |
| Group C | |||||||||
|
1
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
|
2
|
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
|
2
|
|
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
|
4
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 2 | |
| Group D | |||||||||
|
1
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | |
|
2
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
|
3
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
|
4
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 1 | |
| Group E | |||||||||
|
1
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
|
2
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
|
3
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
|
4
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 | |
| Group F | |||||||||
|
1
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
|
2
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | |
|
3
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
|
4
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 1 | |
But do tune in a few minutes later for another box-office fixture involving France and Portugal.
And that's it for the hosts. Spain trips but still sees off their steepest hurdle of Euro 2024 so far. Dani Olmo drew first blood for La Roja, but Florian Wirtz signed off an equalizer in the death to push the match into the laboring extra time. Tackles flew in, and cards were aplenty, but a stroke of magic was lacking, until Dani Olmo's boots glazed the leather orb with utmost perfection in the 119th minute, and Mikel Merino planted it into the top corner to send Spain through to the semi-finals.
Germany had their moments. Plenty of them to rue later. Fulkrug's effort grazing the upright, Havertz miscued chip, a few half chances that could've gone their way, but ultimately Spain reigned supreme in foreign land.
A glorious cross from Thomas Meuller but Fulkrug's effort is wide of the target. Just about. Chances are there will be no heroics off the bench from him tonight.
Musiala's effort from outside the area stuck Cucurella, who is loitering in the area, on the arm. German players plead for a penalty but referee Anthony Taylor and the VAR decide the Spanish full-back's arm was in a natural position at the point of contract.
No one at this point knows what a handball is, so it's difficult to argue.
Spain will get the ball rolling, our emotions have been rolling up and down, and there's no respite in sight.
An outstanding leap from Kimmich to tee the ball up for Florian Wirtz who volleys it home with aplomb. Spain were moments away from euphoria and now they're being pushed into another thirty minutes of unassuming toil.
It's 1-1 in Stuttgart.
Unai Simons almost handed the Germans a way into the match. A rushed pass from the keeper is collected by Kai Havertz, who races past the defender chasing his shadow, and decides to chip on-rushing Simons. But his audacious chip just clears the crossbar.
Did he spot Wirtz making a square run? In the replays he will. And if Germany's exit is down to this miss, Havertz might have a few sleepless nights.
Alvaro Morata and Nico Williams make way for Mikel Oyarzabal and Mikel Merino.
Florian Wirtz is released down the right flank, and he stabs a cross into the area that is turned into the crossbar by Niclas Fulkurg.
THAT'S AS CLOSE AS THE GERMANS CAN COME WITHOUT UPSETTING THE SCOREBOARD.
A hooved ball from the deep, is played into the middle by Havertz, who was hovering on the far post, and finds Fulkrug. The striker sets up Andrich whose effort is pushed away by Unai Simon.
Ilkay Gundogan and David Raum replaced by Mittelstadt and Niclas Fulkrug.
Where does Germany go from here? How do the react?
First-half substitute Dani Olmo gets the better of Manuel Neuer and Spain are ahead!
Yamal tucks the ball into the path of Morata, whose attempt on the turn from a few metres out and sails over the bar. The forward is visible upset with the pulling and tugging on him from the German defenders.
Leroy Sane and Emre Can come on for Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich. The change in the midfield hasn't worked out for Germany it seems.
Spain gets the ball rolling and they'll be attacking from left to right.
Now, the question remains, who blinks first?
A clumsy challange from Le Normand on Gundogan near the half-way line and the Spanish center-back is booked right away. A bit pointless.
The Spanish center-back will be suspended in the semi-finals if Spain advance to that stage.
Two of the four German backline is booked now.
After a bit of sparring, Germans grabbed hold of some control and Gundogan threaded a through ball to release Kimmich down the right. The full-back's hanging cross is planted into the arms of Unai Simons thanks to a harmless header for Kai Havertz. But that could've been plenty more for Germany.
The center-back will miss the semi-final through suspension if Germany reach the last four.
Just eight minutes in and we already have the first substitution of the night. Pedri is unable to continue anymore, and Dani Olmo takes his place. Let's see if this hinders Spain's approach.
Germany get the ball rolling, and it's still difficult to digest only after 90 minutes or a little more, only one team will remain in the competition.
With the pre-match ramble now out of our way, let's shift the focus to hair-rousing anthems, and then an absolute classic in store.
"Emre did very well when he came off the bench so far, he has extreme speed and is one of the fastest players in the squad, especially in the defensive area. We also want to limit the movement of Fabián Ruiz, who gets relatively little coverage from the media but is one of the key players who keeps dropping to the left and solving many situations. When Rodri is man-marked, Ruiz is the player who is involved a lot in the build-up. Emre is just very, very fast and also has the ability to support the defenders. We are a bit more flexible tactically with him because he has also played in a back three more often."
Luis de la Fuente has sent out an unchanged lineup from the RO16 fixture. But Germany have made a few adjustments to their XI. Jonathan Tah returns to the lineup after serving his suspension. Meanwhile, Emre Can has been thrown into the mix, with Robert Andrich making way.
Luis de la Fuente [Spain]: "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."
Julian Nagelsmann [Germany]: "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."
After heartbreaks in Brazil back in 2014, in France in 2016, in Russia two years later, then in England in 2020, and most recently in the Qatar World Cup, the Spanish armada was brought down to its knees. Begging for a revival. Begging for a leader. Luis de la Fuente was never the obvious choice. Not much of a choice at all.
But with his unassuming demeanor, and an unlikely bunch stitched together, de la Fuente showed the world some of the finest football we've seen from the Spanish side in a decade. There's hunger and intent every time they march forward in tandem. La Roja started their campaign with a statement 4-1 drubbing of the Croatians, before playing out two 1-0 victories against Italy and Albania. A bit of context, against Albania, Spain's starting was heavily altered, and yet they dominated with some panache.
Their only scare came in RO16 against underdogs Georgia initially, but then after pep talk half-time, Spain cruised to a comfortable 4-1 victory.
There's a reason it's monikered Die Mannschaft [The Team]. For the Germans, it's always been about the team, rather than any swashbuckling talisman. But in the build-up to Euro 2024, the narrative was slightly altered. Germany became about the team as well as Julian Nagelsmann, a prodigal tactician capable of returning the team to their glory years.
Their performance in the 5-1 victory over Scotland in the curtain-raiser set the tone, then came a clinical sweep of Hungary, before Switzerland exposed a few chinks in the armor of the hosts. In RO16, Denmark came charging. While the scoreboard read 2-0 after the final whistle, even the most staunch German supporters were reminded to thank their stars.
It's the business end of the footballing gala. First taste of the quarter-finals. Germany and Spain. Two traditional heavyweights. Two teams that reek of quality coupled with form. Two coaches who have sparked a revolution in their respective teams after a slump. One carries the weight of being the emphatic host, the other of a play style that has left many surprised and more captivated.
Without reaching out for hyperbole, this could've well and truly passed off as a final clash. Unfortunately, it plays out earlier, a lot earlier. But the narratives are built in for a classic. So let me, Sayantan Guha, your commentator for the evening, take you through this David versus Goliath saga that will play out.