Would the hosts have been better off had Niclas Fullkrug not scored that 92nd-minute equaliser against Switzerland in the final group game? Might that have been the moment on which the entire tournament turned?
A 1-0 defeat would have put Germany second in their group and on the more forgiving side of the draw, probably making them the biggest force there. It could have been a clear route to the semi-final.
Nagelsmann would argue that, if that happened, the hosts wouldn’t still have their unbeaten record. They wouldn’t have the emotional momentum that comes with a last-minute equaliser to preserve that record, either. They wouldn’t have the same aura. Euro 2024, meanwhile, wouldn’t have a fixture as mouthwatering as Spain vs Germany today.
It has all the elements to be the game of the tournament. That isn’t just because they are two of the favourites, or even that it’s the stirring hosts against the team of the tournament so far. It’s also how they play, and how the manner of this meeting lends itself to goals. That is reflected in how Germany and Spain are the two top-scoring teams at Euro 2024, a gap between them and the rest as well as performances that suggest there are many more to come. Spain could easily have had double their nine so far, especially in the wins over Georgia and Italy.
TOP SCORING TEAMS AT EURO 2024
Germany 10
Spain 9
Switzerland 7
Austria 7
Netherlands 7
Turkey 7
Portugal 5
Georgia 5
England 4
Romania 4
Slovakia 4
The only pity is that, partly due to Fullkrug’s goal, a match like this is taking place so early. It looks like it should be the final. It might even end up being viewed as the “real final”.
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