DPA
Herzogenaurach (Germany)
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will be a key figure in Germany’s Euro 2024 quarter-final match against Spain, and the hosts will see it as a good omen that Neuer has never lost a last-eight match at a big event.
Friday’s match in Stuttgart will be the fifth quarter-final for the now 38-year-old from Bayern Munich who recorded his 50th clean sheet from 123 caps in a 2-0 win over Dennmark in the last 16 match.
Neuer’s form had been questioned ahead of the Euros but he has been the reliable backbone again, conceding just twice in four tournament.
Germany will hope that he can extend his perfect quarter-final record against Spain, who have impressed most so far at the tournament and boast a fearsome forward line including yougsters Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
Germany have not beaten Spain at a big tournament since 1988, and lost both previous knock-out matches, the Euro 2008 final and 2010 World Cup semi-final.
But Neuer was instrumental in ending another German rot, when the team beat Italy for the first time ever at the Euros or World Cup, on penalties in the Euro 2016 quarters when he saved from Leonardo Bonucci and Matteo Darmian.
Neuer’s other quarter-final victories were 4-0 over Argentina at the 2010 World Cup, 4-2 over Greece at Euro 2012, and 1-0 over France at the 2014 World Cup.
Neuer has won all club titles on offer with Bayern Munich as well as the 2014 World Cup, leaving the European title as the only missing silverware in his CV, just like for team-mates Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller.
“We have been ready for the European Championship title for a long time,” Neuer has insisted. “I feel good and am looking forward to every match.”
Germany have never lost a quarter-final match at the Euros since they were introduced as part of the tournament format in 1996, winning all four they contested while not getting that far on three occasions.
Their last big event defeat in the last eight was against Croatia at the 1998 World Cup. Germany won their following four quarter-finals while going out in the group stage of the last two editions.
