Spain lock horns with Germany in quarter-finals
Two European juggernauts seeking to win an unprecedented fourth European Championship title do battle at the MHPArena in Stuttgart on Friday evening, as Spain lock horns with Euro 2024 hosts Germany in the quarter-finals.
The victors of this eagerly-anticipated contest will face the winners of the last-eight tie between Portugal and France in the semi-finals. After winning all three group games at a European Championship for the first time since 2008, Spain remain the only nation at Euro 2024 who boast a perfect record from four matches after coming from behind to beat Georgia 4-1 in the last 16 on Sunday.
Spain
Spain‘s youthful and energetic side have dazzled their way into the quarter-finals, reaching this stage for the fourth time in their last five Euros appearances, and even Germany has admitted that “Spain have been the most impressive side so far” at this summer’s tournament.
Ranked eighth in the world by FIFA, Spain head into Friday’s blockbuster battle having not lost any of their last six competitive meetings (W3 D3) with Germany dating back to 1998, most recently playing out a 1-1 group-stage draw at the 2022 World Cup. However, Spain have remarkably never beaten the host nation in the knockout rounds of a Euros or World Cup, failing to win any of their last nine such matches dating all the way back to 1934.
Germany
Hosts Germany remain on course to win their first European Championship title since 1996 after they battled past a competitive Denmark outfit to win 2-0 in the round of 16 last Saturday.
After a “wild game” in Dortmund, Julian Nagelsmann claimed that his Germany players are “beginning to realise how good they really are” having now progressed to the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time since Euro 2016 – Friday’s clash with be Germany’s 19th quarter-final across the World Cup (14) and Euros (five), the most of any European nation at these two major tournaments.
Germany have reason to be optimistic of success on Friday, though, as they are unbeaten in their last eight games against La Roja on home soil (W5 D3), while no host nation has ever been eliminated from the quarter-final stage of a European Championship.
Preview
A tight affair cannot be ruled out on Friday considering that each of their last four meetings between these two nations in major tournaments have produced only six goals (Spain four, Germany two), while no more than two goals have been scored in six of the last seven encounters in all competitions.
This 50-50 contest could go either way and few would be surprised to see it go beyond the 90 minutes, but we feel that Spain may just have the edge to sneak through to the semi-finals and bring the curtain down on Germany’s home Euros.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Portugal will look to bounce back against Slovenia
Portugal and France meet in the European Championship quarterfinals on Friday and the match features a head to head between two of soccer’s biggest stars: Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. The winner will play either Spain or host nation Germany in the semifinals.
Match Facts
— It’s a match between two of the pre-tournament favorites but neither have been convincing. Portugal hasn’t scored a goal in its last two matches.
A 2-0 loss to Georgia and a 0-0 with Slovenia before winning a penalty shootout — while no France player has scored from open play at Euro 2024. The French have had two own-goals and a penalty from Mbappe.
Ronaldo burst into tears after having a penalty saved in extra time against Slovenia. Appearing in his record sixth European Championship, he has yet to score — if he does, the 39-year-old striker would be the oldest ever scorer at the tournament.
Mbappé will again be wearing a protective mask after sustaining a broken nose in France’s group opener against Austria. France coach Didier Deschamps said after the last-16 win over Belgium that Mbappé might need to wear the mask for “months.”
The match will be played exactly 18 years after the nations’ meeting in the 2006 World Cup semifinals, when Zinedine Zidane scored the winner from the penalty spot. Ronaldo played the full match and the player of the match was Lilian Thuram, whose son, Marcus, is likely to feature for France in Hamburg.
Team News
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot is suspended after collecting two yellow cards. The likelihood is that Antoine Griezmann will drop back into central midfield to cover for Rabiot, with Ousmane Dembele potentially coming into the forward line.
Portugal has no reported injury concerns, with all 26 players in the squad training on Wednesday. No players are suspended, either.
Mbappe is one of four France players who will miss the semifinals if they pick up another booking,
Credit: outlookindia.com
Foden ‘feels sorry’ for under-pressure Southgate
England forward Phil Foden has said the players “need to take some of the blame” for the team’s performances at Euro 2024 and that he “feels sorry” for under-pressure manager Gareth Southgate.
Southgate’s side reached the knockout stages of the tournament by finishing top of their group before beating Slovakia after extra time in the last 16.
However, the manner of their play has been criticised with questions asked about team selection and tactics.
“The players have got to take some of the blame,” said Foden.
“There has to be some leaders to get together and find out a solution to why it is not working.
“There is only so much the manager can do. He sets you up in a system and tells you how to press. If it is not going like that, you have to [work it out].”
When asked about the pressure on Southgate during the tournament and going into Saturday’s quarter-final against Switzerland (17:00 BST), the Manchester City player added: “I feel sorry for Gareth.
“In training, he has been telling us to press and be high up on the pitch and I feel like sometimes, it has to come from the players.
“We have to be leaders. In games we could have got together a little bit more and worked out a solution.
“So yes, we have spoken about it more. If it happens again in a game, we can get together and find a solution, see where it is going wrong and adapt our press.”
Credit: bbc.com
