Germany v Spain - dissecting Euro 2024's two best teams

It is nan hosts versus arguably nan champion performers of Euro 2024 truthful acold arsenic Germany look Spain successful a immense quarter-final lucifer astatine Arena Stuttgart connected Friday.

A activity of belief has swept crossed nan location nation, pinch debased expectations earlier nan tourney now increasing higher pinch each German win.

Spain, meanwhile, person been beardown from nan outset and look nan astir complete package of those successful nan past eight.

In galore ways, this is simply a crippled that would person been a fitting final, but 1 of nan 2 heavyweights will spot their travel travel to an end.

Germany skipper Ilkay Gundogan summed it up connected Thursday, saying: “It speaks for some teams erstwhile you opportunity we are nan champion teams successful nan tournament. That is why nan excitement is truthful high.

"There is thing amended for a shot instrumentality aliases subordinate to beryllium progressive successful these benignant of games."

Prior to nan tourney location was a consciousness from nan Germany fans that they would do good to get retired of their group.

Just 9 months agone they mislaid 4-1 to Japan, starring to Hansi Flick becoming nan first coach to beryllium sacked successful German history.

Former Bayern Munich leader Julian Nagelsmann replaced him and managed conscionable 1 triumph his first 4 games.

But a 5-1 thrashing of Scotland successful nan first crippled astatine these Euros lifted nan temper of nan fans. Results and performances since past person only seen that flourish.

“We spot nan instrumentality zones successful each nan cities, nan solidarity and nan support each complete nan country," Nagelsmann said. “We consciousness that support and it is carrying us."

Forward Jamal Musiala has been 1 of nan young stars pinch 3 goals successful 4 games, but nan return of knowledgeable midfielder Toni Kroos to nan world segment has arguably been 1 of Nagelsmann's important moves arsenic manager.

Kroos stepped down from world shot successful 2021 but returned for a swansong astatine his location tourney and has been a cardinal player.

He spent a decade pinch Real Madrid earlier retiring from nine shot this summer, and his acquisition of Spanish shot could beryllium captious connected Friday.

"We now person a different belief," said Kroos. "We are now winning games aliases astatine slightest not losing games that we were intelligibly losing successful nan past.

"We want to spell a batch further and successful nan dressing room we are very convinced we will execute that."

Games betwixt these 2 sides are often close, pinch 3 of their past 4 ending successful a draw.

The 1 objection to that is simply a consequence that could springiness Spain nan psychological edge.

It came successful November 2020 successful a Nations League lucifer successful Seville, pinch Spain winning 6-0 to inflict connected Germany their heaviest defeat.

If not for Germany's resurgence astatine this tournament, past nan measurement Spain person been playing whitethorn person prompted fears of a repeat.

They person been defensively beardown but person awesome attacking spot - their tally of 9 goals successful 4 games is only bettered by nan hosts, who person scored 10.

"Spain are nan astir complete package," erstwhile England defender Matthew Upson said connected BBC Radio 5 live.

"We cognize really bully they are pinch nan shot but really they are retired of possession, nan measurement they hunt teams down, tey person a spot of everything. They suffocate opponents.

"If you can't get nan shot disconnected them you are successful large trouble. They are nan astir complete squad successful nan tournament."

Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams person been their young stars of nan tournament.

Yamal, who is conscionable 16, has provided 2 assists successful 4 games, while 21-year-old Williams has a extremity and assistance successful 3 games.

Spanish shot master Guillem Balague:

"This will beryllium a fascinating encounter. They are some sides who are very similar. They for illustration to build from nan backmost and person an organiser aliases 2 successful Gundogan and Kroos for Germany and Rodri and Pedri for Spain.

"They some person akin weaknesses pinch nan full-backs going guardant and abstraction being near behind, while nan centre-back pairings are not nan strongest.

"With Spain we person seen a squad who person adapted to thing thrown astatine them, and they person been improving.

"With Williams and Yamal having a youthful attack to games, they don't mind if they don't hit defenders, they conscionable support going.

"In Yamal they person nan subordinate of nan tourney who has created nan astir magnitude of chances.

"There's not overmuch to beryllium changed successful nan line-up. The statement is whether it will beryllium Pedri, who was not awesome against Georgia, aliases Dani Olmo, who was crisp erstwhile he came on.

"There's different possibility, sometimes Morata starts connected nan chair and Olmo starts arsenic a mendacious nine, and that could origin problems for Rudiger and whoever partners him successful defence because they for illustration to look a subordinate pinch a fixed position.

"Former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said Spain look for illustration an under-18s broadside because of our size but I deliberation he knows we are a squad that will beryllium fierce successful nan one-on-ones."

German shot master Constantin Eckner:

"Belief has grown. There wasn't overmuch hype going into this successful Germany for nan tourney and for Germany, but that has grown.

"There was bully and bad successful nan games against Switzerland and Denmark. Against Switzerland if they did not people successful wounded clip past they would not triumph nan group, truthful location is optimism arsenic good arsenic realism.

"Spain person been nan squad that has impressed nan astir truthful acold pinch nan measurement they person played. Germany person scored nan astir goals but nan Scotland crippled was an outlier.

"One of nan cardinal battles will beryllium Joshua Kimmich against Williams. Williams has been 1 of Spain's main creator of chances.

"The different cardinal duel will beryllium Gundogan versus Rodri because Rodri is Spain's controlling hand. He is specified a beardown counter-pressing subordinate and that is why he needs to beryllium contained and made to activity and get successful situations he is possibly not comfortable.

"Then of people Musiala will play against Dani Carvajal. The first 2 battles I mentioned were really Germany tin incorporate Spain, but this 1 will beryllium astir really Spain tin incorporate Germany."

One statistic that will springiness Germany encouragement is that Spain person a torrid grounds against big nations astatine awesome tournaments.

They person grounded to triumph specified matches successful nan knockout stages of a European Championship aliases World Cup successful 9 erstwhile attempts, making love backmost to 1934.

But they will beryllium encouraged by their grounds against Germany.

They are unbeaten successful their past six meetings pinch them and their past lucifer astatine nan Euros was nan last successful 2008, erstwhile Spain won 1-0.

At this tourney it is Germany who travel retired connected apical of galore of nan statistics.

As good arsenic scoring nan astir goals (10 to Spain's nine), they person had much possession (62% to 58.5%), and besides separator things successful position of passing accuracy (92.2% to 91%).

But Spain's statistic show them to beryllium nan amended pressing side, winning nan shot backmost much times than Germany (165 to 161) and attempting much tackles (51 to 45).

Many fans started arriving successful Stuttgart connected Thursday evening and, from speaking pinch supporters from some sides, they were excited and tense for a crippled they expected to beryllium intimately fought.

"This will beryllium very difficult but astatine nan aforesaid clip I americium optimistic," said Robin, a Germany fan.

"I americium not amazed we person done well. The German squad is simply a bully squad pinch a bully operation of young players and experience.

"Niclas Fullkrug has been a bully action disconnected nan chair but Kai Havertz is capable to play good pinch Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.

"Nico Williams does interest maine for Spain but Germany has a beardown defence. I person nary worries astir our defence."

Spain instrumentality Jeronimo believes it will beryllium nan knowledgeable players of some sides who will make nan difference.

"This will beryllium nan hardest lucifer successful nan full of nan Euros," he said.

"I expect Germany will commencement pinch a batch of powerfulness successful nan first fewer minutes but wide it will beryllium rather equal.

"The cardinal players will beryllium nan knowledgeable players - Toni Kroos, Rodri, Dani Carvajal and Manuel Neuer. They will let nan young players to play pinch freedom.

"This is going to beryllium a classic, an unpredictable match, but I deliberation we will get to Berlin for nan final."