Mikel Merino's extra-time goal sends Spain to semi-final of Euro 2024 beating Germany 2-1

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :July 6, 2024 at 1:04 AM

Modified at :July 6, 2024 at 1:04 AM

La Roja will either face France or Portugal in the semi-finals.

When the final whistle blew host nations fans appeared to be in despair after what they witnessed as Germany were sent packing by Spain in one of the most entertaining games between two juggernaut European teams.

After a dramatic quarterfinal match against Germany that went into extra time, Spain are the first team in the semifinals of Euro 2024.

Due to persistent fouls and a lack of focus in the last third of the game, these two attacking sides struggled to get going in a tense first half.

However, Spain took the lead after the break when Dani Olmo, a replacement, entered the box and finished Lamine Yamal’s squared pass. After that goal, Germany put pressure on Spain to equalise. Florian Wirtz beat Unai Simon with a swivel shot well before the 90-minute mark.

Though there weren’t many opportunities in extra time, Dani Carvajal’s deft playmaking set Olmo up to send a cross into the middle but the forward fluffed his chances and as it seemed the game will head into shootouts.

Nevertheless, Mikel Merino beat Manuel Neuer at the near post with a superb header after meeting the ball in the 119 minute. A minute or two later, Dani Carvajal was sent off, but it made little difference as Spain qualified for the Euro 2024 semi-finals.

Germany, the hosts, put a lot of effort into trying to tie the game late, but Spain held strong to move on to the final four and face either Portugal or France who play later today.

Germany can take solace from this competition and they did show that they are one of the favourites despite no hope before the start of the tournament and after what happened in the last FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, Spain’s new generation will once again be looking to show that they are one of the most talented sides looking to grip their first-ever Euros since 2012.

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.