COLOGNE: Spain will enter Friday’s quarter-final showdown of the joint record champions with hosts Germany full of confidence after confirming that they are the team to beat at Euro 2024.
Sunday’s 4-1 over Georgia was the biggest winning margin in tournament history from a goal down, and also Spain’s first knockout round win in 90 minutes since beating Italy 4-0 in the 2012 final.
All following five knockout games at Euros and the World Cup went into extra time or penalties, until they turned on the style against Georgia.
The enter the duel of triple champions with Germany as the only team with four victories, and have beaten Germany in their only previous two knockout matches at big events, 1-0 victories in the Euro 2008 final and 2010 World Cup semi-finals.
Germany beat Spain 2-0 in the group stage when they last hosted the Euros in 1988 but more recent memory includes a Spanish 6-0 triumph in the 2020 Nations League. The last meeting, meanwhile, ended 1-1 in the 2022 World Cup group stage.
“I think they are not so happy that they have to play against us,” Spain midfielder Rodri said of Germany.
“They are at home. We will have to play at our top level.”
Winger Nico Williams said he expects a “very, very difficult and tough match. But we have faith in ourselves and have a wonderful team. We can win.
“We are super happy to be in the quarter-finals. We did it step by step and showed what a great team we are. We must continue in this way,” Williams said.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told euro2024.com he was proud how defender Robin le Normand reacted after his own goal saw Georgia take the lead completely out of the blue.
“It’s not easy to cope with that, the pressure, conceding an own goal, so what he did after it is total credit to Robin.”
With the score 1-1 at half-time, he said he told the players to stay “calm, no anxiety, no stressed decisions”. — dpa
