Euro 2024 Match Preview: Spain Vs Germany
Written by Patrick Echatah
In the quarter-finals of the European Championship, Spain and Germany, the hosts of Euro 2024, square off in the MHPArena in Stuttgart on Friday night. Both nations are hoping to achieve a fourth European Championship trophy. The winner of this nail-biting encounter will take on the winner of Portugal vs France quarter-final matchup in the semis.
Spain
Following their comeback victory over Georgia in the round of 16 on Sunday, Spain are still the only country at Euro 2024 with a spotless record through four games. Spain won all three of their group matches at a European Championship for the first time since 2008.
For the fourth time in their last five Euros appearances, Luis de la Fuente’s youthful and vibrant team have dazzlingly advanced to the quarterfinals. Spain’s victory against Germany in the Euro 2008 final and their emphatic 6-0 UEFA Nations League victory in November 2020 will undoubtedly bring back memories for the team. Surprisingly, though, Spain have never defeated the host country in the European Championship knockout stage.
Germany
After overcoming a tough Danish team to win 2-0 in the round of 16, hosts, Germany is still on track to win their first European Championship since 1996. Courtesy of second half goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala, Germany prevailed on a thrilling evening that was disrupted by a series of lightning strikes.
Germany and Spain have faced off on 11 different occasions, with just two victories in the past. Their most recent meeting was a narrow 1-0 friendly win in November 2014. Die Mannschaft, however, can breathe a sigh of relief because historically, no host country has ever been knocked out of the European Championship quarterfinals.
Head To Head
This will be the fourth European Championship encounter between Spain and Germany, with Spain picking up two wins, while Germany have only managed one win.
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Key Performers
Lamine Yamal’s speed, dribbling prowess and ability to create goalscoring opportunities have been vital for Spain in this tournament. The Barcelona wonderkid will be hoping to take advantage of any loophole in Germany’s defence. Another young player on the La Roja squad is Nico Williams, who offers a direct and potent threat on the flank.
Musiala is a goalscoring threat upfront due to his inventive dribbling and creativity. He will be trying to increase his goal tally at this year’s European Championship where he has already scored thrice. Against Spain’s youthful midfield, Gündoğan’s passing and game management skills will also be crucial.
Verdict
Given that there has only been six goals scored in each of the last four major event meetings between these two teams (Spain four, Germany two) a close match cannot be ruled out on Friday. This is a close match that may go either way, and few would be shocked if it went over regulation time, but we think Spain have slight edge to advance to the semis.
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