Mikel Merino, who came on the field as a substitute, hit Spain’s top four in European football. The winning goal came in the last moments of the overtime match.
5.7. 21:42•Updated 5.7. 21:59
European Football Championships on channels 14.6.–14.7. Go to the competition website from this link.
Germany were knocked out of the title race at home on Friday, losing their quarter-final against Spain 1-2 in the play-off.
A surprise hero Mikel Merino scored the winning goal in the 119th minute. Dani Olmo centered the ball into the penalty area, where Merino produced a spectacular leap to make a sublime solo effort as the German defenders looked on.
Merino, who represents Real Sociedad in his home country’s main league, was replaced on the field ten minutes before the end of the actual playing time. The goal was the second of his national team career. The previous hit was from last fall in a 6–0 win over Cyprus.
The winning goal was the third-latest in European Championship history. French Michel Platini hit in 1984 a second later than Merino, and the record holder Artem Dovbyk hit Ukraine at the 2021 Games at 120 minutes and 36 seconds.
Spain was close to winning for a long time already in regular time, when Lamine Yamal let Olmo have a shot, and he shot the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal by the goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s out of reach.
Germany pressed on as the final whistle approached and scored the equalizer in the 89th minute of the game. Joshua Kimmich dropped the center ball For Florian Wirtz, who placed his shot into the back corner. The situation started with goalkeeper Neuer’s quick boundary throw.
In addition to the dramatic end, the match was marred by fouls, for which a total of 16 yellow cards were issued. of Spain Dani Carvajal received two warnings, so he is sidelined for the semi-final due to the red card.
The result meant a German legend Toni Kroos career end. Kroos, 34, announced the end of his national team career already after the previous European Championships, but agreed to return to this tournament head coach Julian Nagelsmann on application. He played the last match of his career in the club team at the beginning of June, when Real Madrid won the Champions League final.
Also, for example, 38-year-old Neuer, 34-year-old Thomas Müller and 33 years old Ilkay Gündogan may not be seen again, at least in the European Championships. The first two were, like Kroos, winning the world championship in 2014.
A rare victory for Spain in Germany
Germany was left out of the semi-finals of the EC tournament for the second time in a row. In 2021, it already fell in the quarterfinals. Before that, Germany was in the semifinals three times in a row and even reached the final in 2008. In the World Cup, Germany has been completely excluded from the playoffs twice in a row.
Germany had never lost in the quarter-finals of the men’s European Championships before.
Spain was also among the four in the previous European Championships, when it lost to Italy in the semifinals in a penalty shootout. In 2016, it was eliminated in the quarterfinals, before that it won the championship twice in a row in 2008 and 2012.
Historical statistics did not favor Spain during the match. This was its first win in a European or World Cup match against the host country. Spain had not beaten Germany in Germany since 1935.
In next Tuesday’s semi-final, Spain will face the winner of tonight’s late game between Portugal and France (TV2 and Areena at 10 p.m.).
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