Euro 2024: In the quarterfinals on Friday, July 5, Spain defeated Germany, the co-host nation. Spain eliminated Germany from Euro 2024 in a thrilling contest when they scored in the last minute of extra time.

Spain’s dramatic extra-time elimination of hosts Germany in a thrilling Euro 2024 match overshadowed the much-awaited return of Toni Kroos. The game included both tragic and wonderful moments in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, leading up to an exciting finale that had viewers on the edge of their seats.

Toni Kroos‘ Comeback

On Friday, July 5, Spain’s last-minute extra-time goal crushed Toni Kroos’s fairytale return. It was a painful moment for the player. Spain won the quarterfinal encounter 2-1 at the MHPArena in Stuttgart by relying on their combative midfielders to score two vital goals from Dani Olmo and Mikel Merino.

Spain’s remarkable coolness in the face of Germany’s continuous onslaught allowed them to maintain their lead despite Germany’s attempts to cut the score in the second half and then in extra time.

Match Overview

The referee had his hands full from the start of the contest because it was a heated one. The first infraction happened within the first ten minutes when Pedri was fouled by veteran German player Toni Kroos, which led to Pedri’s tumble and shin injury. After eight minutes, Pedri was unable to continue the game. Remarkably, even though it was obvious that Kroos had fouled, referee Anthony Taylor chose not to show him a yellow card.

A remarkable turn of events happened in the 13th minute when Taylor, having already called at least two more fouls by Kroos, booked Antonio Rudiger for his first challenge of the game. This started a chain reaction of yellow cards that resulted in 15 by the end of the game, one of which was turned into a red card. The drama reached its climax in the 106th minute of extra time when Marc Cucurella of Spain was given a handball inside the penalty area. Both the VAR and the referee upheld the ruling in spite of German objections.

Germany’s defeat can only be attributed to their own inefficiency in front of goal, as Niclas Füllkrug and Florian Wirtz failed to capitalize on excellent opportunities inside the box during extra time. The most famous miss came from Kai Havertz, who was miles off his line but still failed to score against Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simon. There were audible murmurs from the stadium as Havertz’s lob went well over the bar, indicating how tight the game was between these European titans.

Danke Deutschland 🖤❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/a8aUf28oVy

— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) July 6, 2024

Spain’s Victory

Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal dominated both flanks as Spain depended largely on their youthful players to win the game. Dani Olmo broke the deadlock in the 51st minute with a brilliant run from Yamal, who cut in from the right to score Spain’s first goal. Later in the second half, at the 63rd and 80th minutes, respectively, Yamal and Williams were both replaced.

For Germany, this was the turning point in the game. Five replacements later, Florian Wirtz—the Bundesliga’s player of the year for Bayer Leverkusen—made the goal from a header by Joshua Kimmich, forcing extra time and paying off for coach Julian Nagelsmann’s five-minute rush to equalize.

After a cross from Olmo to substitute Merino, who scored the game’s winning goal in the 119th minute, it appeared that the match would go to penalties. As the hosts, Germany, attempted to tie the score late on, fullback Dani Carvajal was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for tackling Jamal Musiala in an attempt to stop a counterattack. Spain will play Portugal or France in the last four on Friday, and Carvajal and center-back Robin Le Normand will miss the semi-finals.

Conclusion

Fans’ intense emotions and the thrilling battle between Germany and Spain in Euro 2024 will live on in memory. Although the German great was disappointed with the outcome, Toni Kroos’ return brought another level of storyline. Germany needs to gather its thoughts and prepare for future obstacles as Spain moves forward in the tournament.