Euro 2024 Quarter-Finals: Upsets, Penalties, Sneak Preview of the Semis

The last few days of the Euro 2024 in Germany have witnessed exciting actions, with heavyweight clashes, upset victories, and dramatic actions.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal Eliminated 

The biggest story of the quarterfinals was that France defeated Portugal. The game ended 1-1 in extra time, with France coming through for a 5-3 win in the penalty shootout.

In what seems like his final Euros appearance, he ended unhappily as the Portugal talisman didn’t score from open play in the entire tournament.

France will now meet fellow favourites Spain in the semi-finals after this result ends the Euro campaign of the defending champions.

Germany Stunned in Extra Time
Hosts Germany fared no better as they bowed out at this quarterfinal following a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat by Spain in extra time.

Florian Wirtz gave Germany a very late normal-time lead, but when all seemed lost, the Spaniards conjured a very late equaliser to send the game into another 30 minutes.

In the end, it was to be the experience of Spain that they went through after they netted at the end. The result extended Germany’s quarterfinals; they have now fallen at this stage in three of the last four European Championships.

England Survive Scare in Switzerland Clash

England survived a major scare and came from behind to draw 1-1 with Slovakia before prevailing via penalties. Bukayo Saka’s match-winning display proved decisive to seal victory for the Three Lions. They now meet the resilient Swiss, who dispatched Italy in the prior round.

Netherlands Advance to Semi-Finals
At other venues, the Netherlands eased to a 2-0 victory over a disappointing Turkey to set up a semi-final round with France. However, the Dutch will be wary of the French, who—barring their inability to score from open play—have found a way to grind out results.

What Next? 

Well, here it is, the lineup for the semis, and what a finish this will be to the 2024 European Championships, considering the four teams remaining in the competition.

There will be a tough fight among them for a place in the finals, but looking at their past performances, Spain and France are the likeliest of them all.

However, like the rest of this tournament, turnover cannot be completely ruled out in the semi-final.

Spain vs France

England vs Netherlands

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