EURO Matchday 18 Preview

The quarter-finals are upon us, with two fascinating encounters this evening! Title favorites Germany & Spain battle it out at the MHP-Arena, while Portugal face France in Hamburg just hours later.

The quarter-finals are upon us, with two fascinating encounters this evening! Title favorites Germany & Spain battle it out at the MHP-Arena, while Portugal face France in Hamburg just hours later.

Spain v Germany

Though Spain went behind for the first time at this summer’s tournament, Luis de la Fuente’s side quickly regained their composure to end up comfortably beating Georgia by 4 goals to 1 on Sunday night. The usual suspects were at the forefront of Spain’s dominance. Nico Williams scored a fantastic goal on the break, while Lamine Yamal set up a Fabián Ruiz header with a delectable cross in the 51st minute. Surprisingly, the tantalising wing duo has only managed to combine for one goal and two assists at the championships. However, the threat they pose in isolated 1v1 duels is unmatched by any other international side in the competition.. One nation who does come close, however, are hosts Germany. 

For the first time since 2017, the men’s national team managed to progress past a knockout-stage fixture at a major international tournament. The 2:0 triumph was hard-fought and sprinkled by a bit of fortune, but Germany wouldn’t have expected it any other way as we approach the business end of the competition. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just football that stood under the spotlight on Saturday. Difficult weather conditions and questionable refereeing decisions also played a central role in the narrative. 35 minutes into the match, referee Michael Oliver was forced to pause proceedings as lightning and rain built up a raging storm in Dortmund. With no roof for protection, water began cascading onto the pitch and stands.

After a 20-minute interval, the weather cleared enough for the match to proceed without further interruption. However, Oliver and his refereeing team still faced several controversial decisions before the evening was over. In the 48th minute, Joachim Andersen’s off-side big toe kept him from giving Denmark the lead. The offside decision was incredibly tight, but correct nonetheless with the automated VAR system working wonders. Less than five minutes later, Andersen was again in the headlines after his outstretched arm resulted in a penalty for Germany. A harsh decision, but one which had to be given under the rules of the law.

Denmark will feel hard done by to face elimination under such controversial conditions, but it is ultimately the curse of tournament football where such small details play a deciding role. Whereas the Danes will be on summer holiday when the quarter-finals kick-off, Germany’s good fortune puts them into a clash of giants with Spain on the 5th of July. 

Prediction: Spain Win

Portugal v France

Portugal’s 0:0 draw with Slovenia may look like a cagey affair on the surface, but the penalty shoot-out victory had all the excitement and intrigue one could ever hope for from a knockout fixture. When there is drama involved, Cristiano Ronaldo is never far away. The 39-year-old tried in vane to score his first goal of the tournament. Ronaldo took 6 shots, bringing his tournament total to a competition high 17,  but he could not find a way past his former La Liga foe Jan Oblak. 

A flurry of freekicks were predictably spurned, but to the surprise of everyone, even a 105th minute penalty was saved. It’s the first penalty Ronaldo has missed since February 2022, ending a run of 21 successful spot kicks for club and country. The miss sent the Portuguese legend into a teary-eyed emotional spiral, but it ultimately had a happy ending for Ronaldo & co. with penalties playing another leading role in the narrative. 

Ronaldo made amends by putting away Portugal’s first goal in the shoot-out, but it was goalkeeper Diogo Costa who was the true hero. The Porto shot-stopper saved all 3 penalties he faced, ending the shoot-out almost as quickly as it began. Portugal are into their first quarter-final at the EUROS since winning the competition in 2016, but major question marks still abound given the difficulties they have faced in 3 of their 4 matches at the tournament. 

On the other hand, France continued their quest for the nation’s first EURO title in 24 years with a victory in regular time.  Didier Deschamp’s defense were stellar once more, commanding and dictating their Belgian opposition to register their 3rd cleansheet in their 4th match. France allowed their European neighbors only 2 shots on target and the Red Devils' first corner kick only came after the hour mark. 

However, France’s excellent defense came dangerously close to being undone by another sub-par attacking performance. Les Blues took a staggering 19 shots, yet it was ultimately an own-goal from Jan Vertonghen that paved the way to France’s latest appearance in an international quarter-final. It’s a recurring theme for this side. Deschamp’s star-studded attack have taken 62 shots in 4 matches, yet their 3 goals have come from own goals and a penalty. Particularly Mbappé is struggling to throw off the demons of his bitter end in Paris, with the so-reliable international finisher failing to score from any of his 13 shots from open play at the European Championships. 

Prediction: France Win