The Euros 2024 quarter-finals were a rollercoaster of emotions with late goals, dramatic penalty shootouts, and thrilling comebacks.
Spain stunned hosts Germany, France edged out Portugal, England triumphed over Switzerland, and the Netherlands rallied to defeat Türkiye. Let’s dive into the unforgettable moments from these epic clashes.
Quarter final 1
Quarter final time in the Euros started with a blockbuster clash between hosts Germany and Spain, the only team left in the competition to have won all their matches. 16-year-old Lamine Yamal has been a revelation for Spain this tournament and averaged 7.1 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, 2nd behind teammate Pedri. He created another opportunity in the 51st minute with a superb cross which Dani Olmo headed past German keeper Manuel Neuer to give Spain their 1st ever goal against a host nation in the Euros. Time was running out for the hosts, and with 9 German players in the box in the 89th minute, Florian Wirtz pulled it out of the fire with a goal to level the match and take it into extra time. Germany’s substitutions meant that they had a strong and attacking team in extra time, and it looked as though there could be only one winner as Wirtz clipped the post and Niclas Fullkrug’s header was expertly saved by Unai Simon, with penalties to come. Germany would have been happy with penalties since they had not lost a shootout since 1976, but in the final minute of extra time, Olmo was the provider this time around as he delivered a lovely cross into the penalty area which Mikel Merino headed beyond Neuer to see the hosts crash out and Spain progress to their 3rd consecutive Euro semi final.
Quarter final 2
The second quarter final between Portugal and France also had the potential to be a final. France had won 12 of their last 15 matches against Portugal, but Christiano Ronaldo’s side won all 10 of their qualification matches and topped Group F with wins over Türkiye and Czechia, but scraped through on penalties against Slovenia in the round of 16. The Guardian described this match as “a galactic battle lost in the black hole of one man’s ego”, as Portugal’s finishing was awful while talented players like Goncalo Ramos and Diogo Jota sat on the bench and Ronaldo made very little impact on the match. A cagey 1st half continued into the early stages of the 2nd half until the game finally opened up and France’s Randal Kolo Muani was put through against the run of play, only for a heroic sliding Rúben Dias block to deny the French goal. The match went into extra time and then penalties after a 0-0 final score. João Félix struck the post on Portugal’s 3rd attempt, and France converted all 5 of their attempts to progress to the semis and attempt to win the competition for the 3rd time.
Quarter final 3
On the “easier” side of the draw, England faced Switzerland on a tense afternoon in Dusseldorf, with few chances created during the match. It took until the 75th minute for Switzerland’s Breel Embolo to get ahead of Kyle Walker and poke Dan Ndoye’s deflected cross in from close range. Shortly after, England’s most dangerous player, Bukayo Saka, playing in an unfamiliar right wing-back position, levelled matters when he cut inside and curled an outstanding finish in off the post. The match went to extra time, and Xherdan Shaqiri almost scored directly off a corner for the Swiss, only for the ball to come off the top corner of the post and send the match to penalties. An image of Jordan Pickford’s water bottle has surfaced on social media which shows tactics of saving penalties of each Swiss player, and his research worked perfectly when he dived left to save Manuel Akanji’s 1st attempt for Switzerland. Trent Alexander-Arnold converted England’s 5th spot kick, which was enough to send them through to their 3rd consecutive major semi final. Get ready for continuous “It’s coming home” chants in the upcoming few days as England chase their 1st major title since 1966.
Quarter final 4
In the last quarter final, Türkiye stunned the Netherlands with an impressive 1st half display, leading 1-0 at the break thanks to Samet Akaydin heading in Arda Guler’s dinked cross in the 35th minute. The Dutch had a poor opening half but looked a different team in the 2nd half, buoyed by substitute Wout Weghorst. The Burnley striker made a crucial intercept inside his own box to prevent Kaan Ayhan scoring from a rebound, and then moments later at the other side of the pitch Stefan de Vrij headed home the equaliser. The Dutch continued to press and forced an own goal 5 minutes later to complete the comeback. The Dutch held on against a spirited Turkish attack in the final 10 minutes, and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen denied Kerem Akturkoglu with an excellent save later on, as De Vrij also made crucial blocks inside the area. Netherlands will face England in Wednesday’s semi final, a team who they have only lost to once before in competitive football, while France take on Spain on Tuesday.
Article by: Ronnie the average sports guy, for Playa Bets
