Mikel Merino’s extra-time header earned Spain a place in the EURO 2024 semi-finals at the expense of hosts Germany.
Mikel Merino’s late header sent Spain through
Mikel Merino struck late in extra time as Spain booked their place in the UEFA EURO 2024 semi-finals with a narrow victory over Germany in Stuttgart.
Key moments
15′ Yamal drags free-kick wide from edge of area
36′ Close-range Williams drive held by Neuer
47′ Morata turns and shoots over crossbar
51′ Olmo breaks deadlock with low strike
77′ Füllkrug slides shot against post
89′ Wirtz restores parity with superb finish
119′ Merino header wins it for Spain
120’+3 Füllkrug header flies narrowly wide
120’+6 Spain’s Carvajal dismissed
Match in brief: Late drama as Spain edge through
Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo celebrate Spain’s opener
Billed by many as a meeting of the competition’s two strongest sides, the tournament’s first quarter-final started at a ferocious pace. Pedri stung Manuel Neuer’s palms with a low shot inside the opening minute, only to be replaced by Dani Olmo minutes later after suffering an injury.
Lamine Yamal dragged a low free-kick wide of Neuer’s left-hand post and Olmo sent a left-footed drive over the crossbar as Spain sought to assert control, before Kai Havertz headed Joshua Kimmich’s looping cross straight at Unai Simón in Germany’s first clear-cut opening of the contest. The lively Nico Williams then had a close-range attempt repelled by Neuer, who also kept out Olmo’s low effort to preserve parity before the interval.
Spain 2-1 Germany (aet): As it happened
Álvaro Morata almost opened the scoring moments after the restart when he swivelled past Antonio Rüdiger and blazed over the bar, but the deadlock was broken six minutes into the second half when Olmo steered a low first-time shot beyond Neuer from Yamal’s pass. The goal prompted Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann to introduce striker Niclas Füllkrug, who sent a header over the bar not long after entering the fray.
Dani Carvajal denied Florian Wirtz with a superb sliding block as Nagelsmann’s men threw caution to the wind in the latter stages of normal time. Füllkrug then slid Wirtz’s low delivery against a post and Havertz’s lob sailed narrowly over Unai Simón’s goal, but Germany’s late pressure eventually told when Wirtz slammed a low shot in off the far post to force extra time.
Florian Wirtz scored Germany’s equaliser late in normal time
The first period of extra time was finely poised. Both teams went close to taking the lead, Mikel Oyarzabal’s venomous long-range effort whistling wide before Wirtz narrowly missed the target at the other end. Unai Simón was equal to Füllkrug’s well-placed header but Merino decided this absorbing contest with a powerful header from Olmo’s centre, as La Roja held on despite Carvajal’s late red card.
Vivo Player of the Match: Dani Olmo (Spain)
The Bundesliga-based midfielder came on as a substitute to fill Pedri’s big shoes. He was very dangerous, very involved in the game, scored a goal, provided an assist, moved out wide and did well. He did a good job defensively, too.
Graham Hunter, Spain reporter
Such drama, such equilibrium between these two sides in terms of attitude, playing philosophy and talent. Magnificent atmosphere and tension from first to last. This was a quarter-final for the ages. Wonderful entertainment. Sad that there had to be a loser.
Phil Röber, Germany reporter
We got the epic battle that we had all been waiting for. I loved how Germany, spurred on by a really enthusiastic crowd in Stuttgart, left nothing to chance in their efforts to fashion an equaliser. It was a cruel end to the tournament for Nagelsmann’s team, but Spain head into the semi-finals brimming with confidence.
Reaction
Niclas Füllkrug was denied by the frame of the goal in the second half
Key stats
- Olmo has been involved in five goals as a substitute in EURO final tournaments (two goals, three assists). Only Cesc Fàbregas (two goals, three assists) has been able to match that tally in the competition’s history.
- Yamal is the fourth Spain player to register three assists in the same edition of a EURO, after Fàbregas (2008), David Silva (2012) and Olmo (2021).
- Aged 21 years and 63 days, Wirtz is Germany’s youngest goalscorer in a EURO knockout match.
- Neuer is just the third player after Cristiano Ronaldo (29) and Pepe (22) to reach the landmark of 20 EURO appearances.
- Only one of Germany’s last 26 EURO matches have finished goalless.
- Only two of Die Mannschaft’s last ten EURO knockout matches have gone to extra time.
- Leroy Sané is the 21st German player to make ten EURO appearances.
Line-ups
Spain: Unai Simón; Carvajal, Le Normand (Nacho 46), Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri (Olmo 8), Rodri, Fabián Ruiz (Joselu 102); Yamal (Ferran Torres 63), Morata (Oyarzabal 80), Williams (Merino 80)
Germany: Neuer; Kimmich, Rüdiger, Tah (Müller 80), Raum (Mittelstädt 57); Can (Andrich 46), Kroos; Musiala, Gündoğan (Füllkrug 57), Sané (Wirtz 46); Havertz (Anton 91)