All eyes will be fixed on Stuttgart tonight as two of European football’s heavyweights go head to head with a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 at stake.
Luis de la Fuente’s young Spain side have been the pick of the teams at the tournament so far with their blend of defensive solidity, midfield nous and explosive pace down the wings.
Germany started well but have faded a touch and it will be interesting to see if the hosts can raise their game in front of an expectant crowd.
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Team News
De la Fuente has resisted the temptation to leave out Pedri and start with Dani Olmo in midfield, naming the same XI that beat Georgia in the last 16.
That means Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal will again carry the threat down the wings and try to supply the crosses for striker Alvaro Morata.
Germany make two changes with Jonathan Tah and Emre Can coming into the side. Nico Schlotterbeck and Robert Andrich are the men to miss out.
Toni Kroos starts in midfield in what could be his last game as a professional as he is retiring at the end of the tournament.
Confirmed line-ups
Spain: Simon, Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Fabian, Yamal, Morata, Williams
Germany: Neuer, Kimmich, Rudiger, Tah, Raum, Can, Kroos, Sane, Gundogan, Musiala, Havertz.
What they said
De la Fuente said he was not concerned by what Germany were planning and is instead focusing on his own team.
He said: “We always think about doing our job. We can’t be thinking about Germany failing to do theirs. We’ll try to minimise their strengths and exploit their weaknesses. We have similar characteristics. We’re fully prepared to go out there and try to win. We feel lots of responsibility and we’re extremely focused.
“Nothing is free here. Whoever goes through will go through because they’re a great team. In football, the best team doesn’t always go through. I don’t know if [the winners] will be one of the favourites to win the title, but we see ourselves as a very strong team with potential to fight for it.
“I wouldn’t change my players for anyone in the world. For me, my players are the best in the world.”
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Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann is wary of the threat posed by wing duo Williams and Lamal but is eager to see how the latter performs in such a big game.
He said: “He is only 16, which also means our players have a chance to hold their own against him. We’ll see how he reacts when things get tough. But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean we want to knock him off his feet.
“He’s been very consistent of late. His job is to maintain that consistency. He obviously has great qualities, particularly in one-v-one situations. And he’s only 16 years old! You can’t always defend against him because he’s very versatile. He’s an interesting player and fun to watch for neutrals. My focus, though, is not on Yamal, but on Jamal [Musiala].”
