2024-07-05 05:55:02
Spain and Germany meet in a battle of the two of the best sides in Euro 2024’s first quarterfinal. The pair are jointly the most successful sides in Euro history with three titles apiece.
- Who: Spain vs Germany
- What: Euro 2024 quarterfinals
- Where: Stuttgart Arena in Stuttgart, Germany
- When: 6pm (16:00 GMT) kickoff on Friday, July 5
- How to follow: Al Jazeera will bring you live text commentary of the game with build-up starting three hours before kick off
Two of the Euro 2024 favourites face off when Spain take on Germany in a highly anticipated quarterfinal.
Heavyweights Spain are the only team with a perfect record at the tournament, scoring nine goals and only conceding one in four straight wins, while hosts Germany have scored the tournament’s most goals (10) in their three wins and a draw.
Fans loved Spain’s near-flawless performance with young wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams stealing the limelight.
Yamal, the youngest player to feature at the Euros at 16, and Williams have caused problems for opposing defences with their pace and creativity, while midfielder Fabian Ruiz has directed their game and been their top-scorer with two goals.
“I don’t want to offend anyone, but we have the best team at this tournament,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente before the match. “We are going to fight for it and we know what we have ahead of us.
“It is the well-known German machine. It will be a very close match, but we are very confident of our game,” he added.
Germany seeks to end 36-year winless tournament run against Spain
After a shocking group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Germany are enjoying their best international tournament in eight years. They are eyeing their first major title in a decade, having last lifted the World Cup in 2014.
Germany’s young attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala is a joint top-scorer at Euro 2024 with three goals, while Niclas Fullkrug is joint-second with two goals.
Friday’s contest would be anything but easy for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, who will be up against a 36-year winless run at tournaments against Spain, with their last victory dating back to Euro 1988.
The Germans lost the 2010 World Cup semifinal to Spain and the 2008 Euro final, while also suffering a 6-0 demolition in the Nations League four years ago. However, their most recent meeting in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ended in a 1-1 draw at the group stage.
A defeat on Friday would spell retirement for veteran midfielder Toni Kroos, who has already hung up his boots at Real Madrid. The 34-year-old is chasing the one major trophy missing from a vast haul.
“It would be a sensational end but I have also considered the possibility of it not happening. I am not nostalgic at all and did not bring any treats for you [journalists] either,” he told a news conference on Thursday.
“I do not expect it to be my last game so I assume we will see each other again.”
Spain and Germany are jointly the most successful sides in Euro history with three titles apiece.
The winner of Friday’s match will play the winner of Portugal vs France in the first semifinal in Munich on July 9.
FIFA ranking:
Spain (8), Germany (16)
Head-to-head record:
26 games – 8 wins for Spain, 9 for Germany, 9 draws
Last five matches:
Spain: W W W W W
Germany: W D W W W
