'Like a Euros final' - 'insatiable' Spain like a 'winning horse'

Spain leader Mikel Merino says their Euro 2024 quarter-final triumph complete hosts Germany could person been a last - and coach Luis de la Fuente compared his squad to a "winning horse".

La Roja edged nan conflict of nan 2 top-scoring teams and arguably nan astir awesome successful nan European Championship truthful far.

Dani Olmo, who played 112 minutes contempt starting connected nan bench, opened nan scoring and group up chap substitute Merino's extra-time winner - pinch Florian Wirtz levelling for Germany successful nan 89th minute.

Spain will play either Portugal aliases France successful nan semi-finals.

Real Sociedad midfielder Merino said: "I'm exhausted. The adrenaline is taking its toll connected maine now. It's been a unsocial moment.

"The lucifer we were each waiting for, betwixt 2 of nan champion teams successful nan world. It could beryllium a World Cup last aliases a European Championship final.

"We person shown that we cognize really to suffer, that we person a awesome team."

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Spain person been 1 of nan astir awesome teams successful nan Euros, beating 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia and European champions Italy - positive Albania - successful nan group shape and Georgia successful nan past 16.

Their young wingers Lamine Yamal, who is conscionable 16, and Nico Williams, 21, person been 2 of nan stars of nan tournament.

But they had to triumph this 1 successful a different way, pinch nan brace - and striker Alvaro Morata - each replaced astatine 1-0.

De la Fuente said: "I'm proud to coach players for illustration this, players that are insatiable.

"They're utilized to competing astatine nan highest level and they person an opportunity to triumph nan tournament.

"How acold we will get, we will see, but we're perfectly convinced that we tin get very acold pinch this side.

"We are truthful happy, but our euphoria is wholly nether control. We cognize tomorrow is already different day."

Spain will beryllium without suspended defenders Dani Carvajal and Robin le Normand for nan semi-final - and midfielder Pedri is an wounded uncertainty aft going disconnected successful nan eighth infinitesimal for Olmo.

Fifteen players were shown cards successful nan crippled - nan 2nd highest successful a European Championship crippled - pinch 7 for Spain, including Le Normand and Carvajal, who was sent disconnected for 2 bookings.

"I played successful nan 80s - if you want to watch a video of nan 80s and spot really shot was played backmost then, you cognize I don't get scared. I person a friend who says, 'what do you want, to get kissed?" De la Fuente said.

"This is football, I americium not acrophobic of these things - nan crippled is played to nan limit, I americium not complaining astir nan toughness of nan opposing team, I alternatively admit what we arsenic a squad person done."

Olmo, who plays successful Germany for RB Leipzig and was named man of nan match, said: "The bosom is ever much important than nan legs.

"Let's return it easy and calmly, because successful 4 days we person nan semi-finals. We are going to enjoy, celebrate, but calmly and calmly, because successful a fewer days we person nan semi-finals."

Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin, watching for BBC Radio 5 Live, said: "You talk astir strategies and systems but it became overmuch much quality than that.

"It was astir who was going to beryllium slightest exhausted and who would move disconnected for that divided second. And it turned retired to beryllium nan Germans.

"Well done to Spain. They are not conscionable a beautiful team, they person grit arsenic well. But they besides person a batch of suspensions truthful will find it difficult to get past whoever they play successful nan semi-fin