Euro 2024 in Germany has been a tournament full of surprises and excitement, with Spain emerging as the best team so far. On the other hand, strong teams such as France, Portugal and England have faced serious difficulties in advancing. Here we analyse the performance of the eight teams that have made it to the quarter-finals.
Spain have established themselves as the best team in the tournament, having conceded just one goal so far in the Euros. They have beaten Croatia, a team that, although disappointing in this tournament, has been strong in recent competitions. They also beat Italy, who were shaping up to be a tough opponent in the group stage. In the round of 16, Spain showed their goalscoring power by scoring four goals after overcoming Georgia’s opening goal. Players such as Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal and Marc Cucurella have been outstanding, surprising all of Europe with their performances.
Germany, playing at home, have been performing solidly. Despite a draw on the last day of the group stage against Switzerland, they have had a good campaign, being one of the highest scoring teams in the tournament. In the round of 16, they won 2-0 with players such as Jamal Musiala and Toni Kroos standing out. However, their next challenge is to face Spain, the strongest team in the tournament so far.
France have been one of the biggest disappointments, not only for their play, but also for their poor scoring ability, with just three goals, two of them own goals and one from a penalty. Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann have not performed to the level expected. Despite everything, due to the quality and experience of their squad, they are expected to compete against anyone. In the quarter-finals, they will face Portugal, who have also had an inconsistent performance.
Switzerland have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the tournament, displaying a solid and well-organised game. In the round of 16, they beat an Italy side 2-0, who were expected to go further. In the group stage, they came close to beating Germany, who only managed to equalise with a goal in the 92nd minute. Switzerland are seen as dangerous and favourites in their next match against an out-of-form England.
The Netherlands, although they finished third in their group, have been performing well. They drew with France in the group stage and were only surprised by Austria. In the round of 16, they won 3-0 against Romania, another surprise of the tournament. They now face Turkey, one of the biggest surprises in terms of how far they have come.
Portugal have not had a bad Euros, winning two games in the group stage and losing the third after qualifying as top scorers. However, Cristiano Ronaldo has been erratic in front of goal, failing to score and missing a crucial penalty in the last 16. They beat Slovenia on penalties, thanks to a superb Diogo Costa. Their performance in the last 16 was inconsistent, and they now face France in a match that promises to be tough.
England, who were one of the favourites going into the tournament, have shown many weaknesses. They won only one game in the group stage and had to struggle in
the round of 16, drawing in stoppage time and winning in extra time. Criticism is focused on coach Gareth Southgate, who has not managed to get the team to play at the level expected. In the quarter-finals, they face a Switzerland in great form.
Turkey has been one of the tournament’s big surprises, reaching the quarter-finals after beating Austria in the round of 16. Austria had gone through as group winners ahead of teams such as France and the Netherlands. The Turkish team has shown grit and determination, and although it was not one of the favourites, its performance has been remarkable. Now they face the Netherlands in a duel that promises to be intense.
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