3 days ago
A Spanish TV advert promoting nan sum of this lucifer depicted a sunburnt German bagging a sun lounger. ‘They’re suffering from redness’, it stated. Now they’re going to suffer from nan reds.’
In truth, it was a bewildering, breathless nighttime successful which everyone suffered. Spain, up wrong 89 minutes play, who were hauled backmost and struggled desperately. Germany, truthful utterly resurrected by their substitutes that destiny seemed to beryllium sending them connected successful this tournament. And then, aft 119 minutes of football, Mikel Merino, a midfielder leapt to seal nan nighttime against each nan odds.
The German nationalist had been mesmerised by nan imaginable of going up against 16-year-old Lamine Yamal. Der Spiegel moreover pointed retired that nether German employment law, it was not ineligible for a insignificant for illustration him to beryllium moving aft 11pm astatine nighttime - perchance a problem for a Spanish semi-final aliases final.
What majesty he delivered, conscionable aft nan break, to render this aged stadium silent. The 16-year formed nan briefest glimpse crossed nan container successful nan 51st infinitesimal erstwhile Alvaro Morata fed a shot retired of defence by Aymeric Laporte onto him. The boy kissed it crossed nan turf to nan spot wherever Dani Olmo, cruising undetected into nan backmost of nan box, struck it first clip crossed nan sun-dappled turf, into nan net.
It was a extremity of breathtaking simplicity to ace unfastened a lucifer that by past had been heavy, beingness and weighted down by nan tactical dimension. Testament to nan talent of Olmo, who has spent nan past 4 and half seasons astatine Leipzig.
Mikel Merino scored a past gasp victor to nonstop Spain into nan semi-finals of Euro 2024
Merino leapt to caput successful Dani Olmo's transverse successful nan 119th infinitesimal to destruct hosts Germany
Spain's players swarmed to observe pinch Merino aft he earned their semi-final place
Germany had been nan much beingness and muscular side, marking good successful midfield to limit nan proviso to Yamal and Nico Williams. Ilkay Gundogan was tight connected Rodri, specified an arch instigator. They played nan much nonstop shot connected nan fewer occasions they attacked and carved retired nan amended chances. Kai Havertz climbed into Joshua Kimmich’s jabbed transverse but sent a header astatine a comfortable height, past sent successful different debased changeable connected nan turn.
But nan German midfield weakness was Toni Kroos, lacking nan mobility and activity to support up pinch nan Spanish runners. Olmo, Yamal, Williams and Pedri each had nan amended of him and from nan commencement he knew it. A lunge astatine Pedri successful nan games early exchanges saw nan Spaniard limp from nan section pinch sprained ligaments successful his knee. He was successful tears and will play nary further portion successful this tourney if Spain progress.
He was crying erstwhile he near nan section and his calamity is Spain’s tragedy. He has 2 very bad years for injuries and ahs had to activity difficult psychologically to travel back.
Spain had started nan 2nd half higher up nan transportation and looked much objective earlier their extremity went in. Jamal fizzed successful a walk which Morata span astir but he changeable complete nan bar,
But location were echoes of Germany’s attempts to find a comeback against nan Swiss successful nan group stage, successful nan measurement they group astir uncovering an equaliser. Niclas Fullkrug arrived from nan bench, Germany went to 2 up-top pinch 2 wingers and nan Spaniards were pushed deeper.
Germany's players were near distraught aft their location Euros was ended successful melodramatic fashion
The past gasp conclusion marked nan extremity of Germany prima Toni Kroos' illustrious career
Thomas Muller consoled a Florian Wirtz astatine full-time arsenic Germany's tourney came to an end
Fullkrug deed nan guidelines of nan post, fighting to a get up of substitute Nacho, who was tugging astatine his shirt. Havertz had nan chance to clip nan outcoming Unai Simon from 30 yards aft he was talented possession by nan goalkeeper but landed nan shot successful nan tile of nan net. Jamal Musiala could not bring a threat for Germany and nan timepiece ticked down.
Julian Nagelsmann has a estimation for fantabulous substitutions and Germany’s surely made nan quality again. It was substitute Florian Wirtz, fastening onto to Kimmich’s header backmost crossed extremity and smashing into nan turf and into nan net, who saved Germany and sent them into other time.
How Spain missed Yamal and Williams, who had been removed aft 80 minutes, successful nan ensuing other time. Wirtz should person won nan nighttime for Germany successful nan first half of other time, alternatively dragging wide a shot substitute Thomas Muller had levelled into his path.
Wirtz had earlier rescued Germany by scoring an equaliser successful nan 89th infinitesimal successful Stuttgart
The German prima produced a composed decorativeness to unit other clip against Spain
Spain had taken nan lead six minutes into nan 2nd half done substitute Dani Olmo
Olmo steered past German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer having travel connected for nan injured Pedri
Germany had a decent punishment entreaty successful nan 2nd half of wounded time. Musiala’s changeable struck Cucurella’s arm. Anthony Taylor did not tie connected VAR though much marginal penalties person been called done exertion successful this tournament. Fullkrug threw himself astatine a transverse from Kimmich, forcing Simon to leap and save.
Yet unfathomably Spain recovered their victor – Olmo arcing a transverse and Merino, whom Antonio Rudiger lost, leaping to twist a header past Neuer. Even then, Fullrug sent a free header wide from 5 yards and Dani Carvajal was sent disconnected for deterring a past German break.
A Carles Puyol header won Spain nan World Cup semi-final successful 2010 – nan twelvemonth they won it. After this, they person logic to judge that history tin repetition itself.
