EURO 2024: Spain Wins! But Referee Decisions Steal The Headlines!
France Ends Cristiano Ronaldo’s Dreams
Spain became the first semifinalist of the European Championship after a nerve-wracking 2-1 victory over Germany after extra time in a quarterfinal match held in Stuttgart. Mikel Merino scored the winning goal a minute before the penalties.
However, earlier—in the 106th minute with the score at 1-1—there was a controversial situation regarding a potential penalty for the hosts.
A shot from Jamal Musiala hit Marc Cucurella’s left hand, who was in the penalty area.
The main referee, Anthony Taylor, did not point to the spot, and there was no signal for such from his VAR colleagues either.
It is possible that the VAR officials considered some other rule infringement, like offsides by Niclas Füllkrug or Florian Wirtz during the attack, but this was not clarified during the match.
In regular time, “La Roja” had taken the lead with a goal by Dani Olmo in the 51st minute, and in the 89th minute, Wirtz equalized to send the match into extra time.
For a place in the final, the Spaniards will play against either France or Portugal.
In the most entertaining final match, the Iberians dominated the first half and deservedly took the lead.
However, the Germans improved their game and, although late, scored a goal to make the score 1-1. Before that, Kai Havertz missed several chances, including a one-on-one situation, and a shot by Füllkrug hit the post.
This match marked the end of Toni Kroos’s illustrious career. Early in the game, however, he seriously injured Pedri, who was substituted and will likely miss the rest of the championship.
There were no surprises in Spain’s starting eleven.
These were the same players Luis de la Fuente relied on in the Round of 16 against Georgia. Meanwhile, Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann included Emre Can in the tournament’s starting lineup for the first time. He played in midfield instead of Robert Andrich.
Leroy Sané and David Raum retained their places among the starting eleven from the Round of 16 match against Denmark at the expense of Mittelstädt and Florian Wirtz. However, these were part of the coach’s substitutions during the match.
The match began at a frenetic pace. In the 52nd second, Pedri took a dangerous shot, which Manuel Neuer saved.
Shortly after, Toni Kroos fouled Pedri roughly but did not receive a card, leading to protests from the coach in Spain. The Barcelona midfielder sustained an injury from the German’s tackle and was replaced by Dani Olmo.
In the 13th minute, Olmo got ahead of Rüdiger, who tripped him and received an official warning for stopping a dangerous attack.
From the ensuing free kick, Neuer was fortunate that Yamal missed the goal.
The first chance for the German team came in the 20th minute when Kimmich crossed, and Havertz headed the ball. However, Unai Simón had no trouble catching it.
The tackles were numerous, and by the 30th minute, referee Anthony Taylor had already shown three yellow cards. One was for Le Normand, meaning the Spanish defender would be suspended for the semifinals. Later in the match, Dani Carvajal met a similar fate.
The second clear chance for the Germans also fell to Havertz in the 35th minute, but his finishing shot was again unconvincing and did not result in a goal.
A mistake by a German player in the 39th minute led to a chance for Spain. Bayern’s goalkeeper only parried Olmo’s powerful shot, and Morata failed to capitalize on the rebound.
Surprisingly, the two coaches made three substitutions at halftime, none due to injuries.
In Spain’s lineup, Nacho Fernández replaced the booked Le Normand, while Wirtz and Andrich regained their spots from Can and Sané.
As in the first half, Spain quickly created a chance. In the 47th minute, Yamal passed to Morata near the goal area, but the striker shot over the bar.
In their next opportunity, de la Fuente’s players were accurate. In the 51st minute, Yamal assisted Olmo, who scored with a precise ground shot for 1-0.
The German team immediately responded and pressed for an equalizer.
Several scrambles ensued, but the Spanish managed to clear. Meanwhile, Nagelsmann introduced the much-anticipated striker Niclas Füllkrug.
Only in the 70th minute Unai Simón had to make a save from an Andrich shot. Two minutes later, Havertz again failed to find the net.
During this period, the Germans came closest to scoring in the 77th minute when Füllkrug struck the post from a right-wing cross. The striker and Nacho Fernández pulled each other’s shirts, though the Spaniard did it more conspicuously.
In the last ten minutes of regular time, “Die Mannschaft” played an all-out attack, with Thomas Müller coming on for central defender Tah. A chance came after a goalkeeper’s error when Simón failed to clear the ball effectively. Havertz took advantage and found himself one-on-one, but his chip shot exceeded the bar.
The Germans’ efforts paid off in the 89th minute when Wirtz equalized for 1-1, heading in a cross from Kimmich.
The enthusiastic hosts continued to attack in the remaining minutes, and Thomas Müller missed a chance, although replays suggested he was offside.
Extra time followed. Both teams had similar chances in the first 15 minutes through Oyarzabal and Wirtz.
The second half of extra time began with a highly controversial situation when Musiala’s shot hit Cucurella’s left hand in the penalty area. The referee decided it was not a penalty, and there was no signal from VAR either.
The Germans remained more dangerous, and in the 117th minute, Füllkrug showed excellent heading ability again, but Simón made a save.
Out of nowhere, the Spaniards scored a second goal. In the 119th minute, Olmo crossed to Merino, who spectacularly headed the ball into the net.
There was still time for Germany to create a chance, but in added time, Füllkrug missed the goal from a few meters.
Carvajal received a red card shortly after, but he had already earned a suspension for the semifinal due to yellow cards.
France Also Qualifies for the Euro 2024 Semifinals.
“The Roosters” eliminated Portugal after a penalty shootout. The match ended 0-0 in regular time and after two overtimes. Didier Deschamps’ team was flawless in the penalties and won 5-3. The Portuguese missed one penalty as João Félix hit the post. Thus, the French will face Spain in the semifinals.
This quarterfinal might be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last match in a major tournament.
The 39-year-old star finished the European Championship without a goal, although he was accurate in the penalties today.
The other captain, Kylian Mbappé, also couldn’t stand out much. He had issues with his mask and nose. At one point, he needed medical assistance after being hit in the face by the ball, and Deschamps substituted him after the first overtime.
France remains without a goal from open play in Euro 2024.
“The Roosters” have three goals from two own goals and a penalty by Mbappé.
The French started aggressively and attempted several attacks in the opening minutes. However, the Iberians began to control the ball more and played at a slow pace with long passes. Gradually, they started approaching the opponent’s goal but only managed a few dangerous crosses.
“The Roosters” played cautiously, allowing Portugal to control the game. The first shot of the match came in the 16th minute by Bruno Fernandes, but it was deflected, and the ball went wide.
Deschamps’ team seemed to realize this was not a wise approach and a strong period for the French followed. Diogo Costa saved a long-range shot by Theo Hernandez.
After an excellent run down the left, the goalkeeper also dealt with a dangerous cross from Mbappé.
France moved the play into the opponent’s half and tried to press them. The captain of “The Roosters” made a successful run down the right, overcoming Nuno Mendes, but then delayed the pass, and the attack ended with Griezmann’s shot being blocked.
Rafael Leão caused significant problems for the French defense, especially Koundé. On the other hand, Pepe did well in stopping Griezmann’s attempt to break through the center.
Both teams attempted to attack without taking too many risks, prioritizing defense.
This led to a lack of real goal-scoring opportunities. Just before halftime, the Portuguese got a free kick in a good position, and surprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo allowed Bruno Fernandes to take it, but the result was not good.
The French started the second half better and managed a shot. Mbappé played a one-two with Kanté and shot, but the ball went straight into Costa’s hands. Portugal responded with a nice run by Nuno Mendes. He fell in the penalty area, but the referee signaled for play to continue, and the PSG defender did not even contest a penalty as he was glad not to receive a yellow card for simulation.
An excellent run by Theo Hernandez followed.
He tried to find Kolo Muani, but the forward was not close to the ball. Shortly after that, Mbappé needed medical attention. A ball hit him in the head, evidently displacing his mask, as he lay on the ground holding his broken nose. The French captain returned to the field angry.
The Portuguese pushed forward in the following minutes.
First, Bruno Fernandes was set up by Cancelo and found himself in an excellent position. The midfielder shot, but Maignan made an excellent save. Cancelo missed the target on the rebound, but the ball did not go far off.
Shortly after, Maignan made an even tougher save. Leão broke through on the left again and passed to Vitinha, who just had to place the ball into one of the corners. However, he shot straight at the goalkeeper, and the shot was saved.
The ball reached Cristiano Ronaldo, who tried to score with a backheel, but Maignan was again unbeatable.
The interesting moments shifted to the other goal after a strong period for Roberto Martinez’s team. Kolo Muani was set up in a great position, but at the last moment, Ruben Dias caught up with him and managed to deflect the ball with a slide tackle, which was crucial.
Deschamps made a change, taking out Griezmann and bringing on Dembélé.
The PSG player quickly made an impact and could have helped his team immediately. He found Camavinga in the penalty area, and the midfielder had a great chance to score but sent the ball wide.
After these situations, both teams returned to a more cautious play, as there was not much time left until the end. The fouls and yellow cards increased.
Ronaldo had an opportunity to shoot from a free kick, but the position was not favorable, and the shot went into the wall.
A quick attack by France ended with a long-range shot by Kanté, which did not trouble the goalkeeper much.
Bernardo Silva had a chance to shoot, but Saliba blocked the shot.
Mbappé had a shot in added time, but it was also saved.
As there were no goals in regular time, the match went into extra time. At the beginning of the extra time, Ronaldo had his best chance in the match after excellent work by substitute Francisco Conceição. The Portuguese captain couldn’t connect well with the ball, which went wide.
Mbappé also had a chance to shoot, but his shot was blocked. Martinez’s team had the advantage during this period, controlling the ball more and looking more dangerous in attack.
Portugal was close to scoring in the 102nd minute. After a cross, the ball reached Leão, but he couldn’t send it toward the goal because a French defender intervened and blocked the shot. After the first overtime, Deschamps substituted Mbappé, who had physical problems. Roberto Martinez brought on João Félix for Leão.
The Iberians remained more active, and after a cross from Conceição, Félix headed the ball, but it hit the side netting. An individual run by Mbappé’s substitute, Bradley Barcola, ended with an inaccurate shot from a difficult position.
Ultimately, the Portuguese organized an excellent attack, and Nuno Mendes could have become the hero. However, he sent the ball into Maignan’s hands.
After making three consecutive saves in the penalty shootout against Slovenia, Diogo Costa could not repeat his performance, as the French were flawless.
Dembélé, Fofana, Koundé, Barcola, and finally Theo Hernandez beat him. Ronaldo gave Portugal a successful start, but João Félix hit the post on the third attempt for the Iberians, which turned out to be the only miss.
Thus, the hosts Germany and Portugal ended their participation in this European Championship, and Spain and France will battle for the final.
