July 2nd 2024.
The quarter-finals for Euro 2024 have officially been set, as the last round of last-16 games were played on Tuesday night. Out of the sixteen teams that entered the knockout stage, only eight remain in the running for the coveted title of European champions. Among them are the hosts, Germany, and the pre-tournament favorites, England.
However, there were also some surprising eliminations in the previous round. The defending champions, Italy, were knocked out by Switzerland, while the 2018 World Cup finalists, Croatia, failed to make it out of the group stage. Now, the remaining teams are gearing up for the highly anticipated quarter-final clashes, which will take place on Friday and Saturday across various stadiums in Germany.
In the first knockout round, the hosts secured a victory against Denmark, and now they have set their sights on a thrilling match against the in-form Spain, who easily defeated minnows Georgia in their previous game. Another exciting matchup will be between the 2018 World Cup runners-up, France, and the much-fancied Portugal, led by the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, who had to rely on penalties to defeat Slovenia.
On Saturday, the Three Lions of England will also be in action, facing off against a confident Swiss team who ended Italy's reign as European champions. The quarter-finals will also see the Netherlands, who have been gaining momentum with a 3-0 win over Romania, take on Turkey for a spot in the semi-finals.
Spain has been considered the standout team of the tournament so far, and their manager, Luis de la Fuente, believes they are the favorites to win it all. After their convincing win against Georgia, he stated, "Our objective is to win another match and knowing that we are going to play against Germany. With all due respect to the other teams, we have the best players in the world. We are not guaranteed a win, but we will fight for it."
De la Fuente also acknowledges that every team has their strengths and weaknesses, including his own. He expects a tough match against Germany, who he describes as a great team with talented individual players who work well together. He also praises their opponents for being organized, difficult to beat, and hungry for success. Ultimately, he believes it will come down to the small details that will determine the outcome of the game.
Meanwhile, England narrowly avoided an embarrassing defeat to Slovakia in the previous round, but they managed to turn things around in the final seconds to keep their Euro hopes alive. As the quarter-finals approach, the stakes are higher than ever, and each team will be giving it their all to secure a spot in the semi-finals and eventually the grand finale.
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