Spain saved by late header as hosts Germany bow out

There's no second summer fairytale for Germany, as it's instead Spain who have the happy ending. For now. Mikel Merino ensured they rose above it all, with a brilliant header in the 119th minute. The big question as to whether they go and actually win Euro 2024 is what the cost of this 2-1 victory over the hosts will be. Toni Kroos didn't get his grand farewell, either, as he instead contributed to a match that often turned ugly.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

That meant that it didn't quite become the game of the tournament in the manner anticipated but it was thoroughly absorbing, right until the death. And that was very, very late. It is easy to see why games like this can prevent teams from becoming champions, because of the gruelling physical and psychological cost. Spain now have Alvaro Morata and the red-carded Dani Carvajal suspended for the semi-final, with Pedri looking like he might be out injured - maybe for the summer. He was the victim of an abrasive challenge from Kroos in the opening minute that very much set a tone.

Through that, Spain displayed another quality in a European Championships when they have already shown so many. They were the picture of perseverance. That wasn't just because of what a gallant German team put them through but what they put themselves through.

There were so many inexplicable decisions in the final stages once they were 1-0 ahead, so many of them from manager Luis De La Fuente. His substitutions of Yamine Lamal and Nico Williams seemed destined to be those kind of fateful moments that will be looked back on and shape the narrative. Germany even had their own foreshadowing, from the famous 2006 World Cup quarter-final when they came from behind and beat Argentina on penalties as Lionel Messi was left on the bench.

This seemed set to go the same way. Merino, in rising for perhaps the header of the tournament, sent it another way.

It was instead that bit too soon for the hosts. It was certainly too soon to play Spain. This was the price of finishing first in the group. They did show promise and perseverance, not least in Florian Wirtz's 89th-minute equaliser. Spain, it seemed, could go longer. They forced their way through. They had the fight.