In the quarter-finals of this year’s European Championship, the host nation Germany suffered a 1-2 loss to Spain after extra time, ending their hopes of reaching the semi-finals. Notably, this is the first time since the European Championship expanded to include a quarter-final stage in 1996 that Germany has been eliminated in this round.
Before this tournament, Germany had an undeniably dominant record in the European Championship quarter-finals. In 1996, the first year the quarter-finals were introduced, Germany faced Croatia. Goals from Klinsmann and Sommer secured a 2-1 victory, setting the stage for their eventual triumph in that edition of the tournament. In 2008, Germany again reached the quarter-finals, this time overcoming Portugal 3-2. Schweinsteiger, Klose, and Ballack found the back of the net for the German side.
The 2012 European Championship saw Germany go head-to-head with Greece in the quarter-finals. Goals from Lahm, Khedira, Klose, and Reus secured a 4-2 win and a place in the semi-finals. The 2016 tournament, which saw the expansion to 24 teams, pitted Germany against Italy in the quarter-finals. The two sides were locked at 1-1 after extra time, but Germany ultimately emerged victorious after a penalty shootout, advancing to the semi-finals.
Prior to this tournament, Germany had consistently advanced from the quarter-finals every time they reached this stage of the European Championship. This achievement was unmatched by any other team, with even European powerhouses like France, Italy, and Spain failing to consistently reach the semi-finals after advancing from the quarter-finals. Now, with their elimination by Spain in the quarter-finals, Germany’s impressive record has come to an end.
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