Two colossal UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final matches are on the horizon as Spain faces hosts Germany, and Portugal takes on France.
We preview the action in Stuttgart and Hamburg:
18:00: Spain vs Germany (Stuttgart)
As heavyweight clashes go, Spain versus Germany is as big as it gets. Luis de la Fuente’s talented Spain squad faces a confident German team, the only side to have outscored Spain in the tournament so far (Germany with ten goals, Spain with nine). The form of young stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams has been impressive. Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal said, “One of them’s only 16 [Yamal], the other’s 21 and yet they perform with pure joy, treating every match the same whether it’s a final or a friendly. That’s important in matches like this – no trace of intimidation.”
Germany, led by Julian Nagelsmann, has shown their quality with three mostly comfortable wins at these finals. Their ability to scrap for a point against Switzerland on Matchday 3 highlighted their resilience. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich acknowledged the challenge, saying, “I don’t know if Spain are all that happy having to face Germany; likewise, there could have been easier opponents for us. If you want to win this tournament, you have to go through Spain.” This match promises to be a thrilling encounter.
Key stat: Three of the countries’ last four meetings ended in draws, with Spain’s 6-0 Nations League victory in Sevilla in 2020 being the exception. Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick in Germany’s heaviest-ever competitive defeat.
21:00: Portugal vs France (Hamburg)
On this day 18 years ago, France defeated Portugal 1-0 in the 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finals. Cristiano Ronaldo played for Portugal then, while Lilian Thuram, father of current France forward Marcus, was the Player of the Match. Both teams, the EURO 2016 finalists, had exhausting last-16 ties at this EURO. Les Bleus overcame Belgium with a late goal, while Portugal needed penalties to beat Slovenia.
The challenge now is to recover and refuel. Didier Deschamps hopes another 90 minutes wearing the protective mask for his broken nose will help Kylian Mbappé adjust better. “He’s getting used to it, but it can affect his vision,” Deschamps said. For Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty miss in extra time against Slovenia did not dampen their spirits. Roberto Martínez called the victory a “victory for unity,” and Ronaldo added, “We showed the enthusiasm that we still have to play, to have fun, to give joy to the fans and that’s it: this is our life.”
Key stat: Three penalties were converted when these teams drew 2-2 at EURO 2020, setting a EURO finals record.
These quarter-final matches promise high stakes, intense competition, and thrilling football as the teams vie for a spot in the semifinals.
Leave a Reply