With Germany’s big win over Spain, established powerhouses are running the show
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BRENTFORD, England — For the third time in their last five matches, Spain conceded within the first three minutes, leaving them with no route back into their group game against Germany, a 2-0 loss on Tuesday. While Germany emphatically punched their spot into the quarterfinals, Spain’s future at the 2022 Euro hangs on the result of their upcoming final group stage match against Denmark.
For all the excitement of the Euros so far, the biggest unpredictability has been how predictable the outcomes have been. For the first time in a long time, all the Euros “favourites” have shown up with some of their best football, leaving the second-, third- and fourth-ranked teams in each group looking helpless to stop them. And each time one nation has put out a statement performance, there has been another the next day to change the narrative of which of the big dogs would be left holding the trophy at the end of the month.
From Germany taking Denmark apart with ease, to France saying “hold my biere” two days later against Italy, to England reminding everyone that it’s coming home this summer in their ruthless dispatching of Norway on Monday — 12 matches into the tournament, we have yet to have an upset outcome after 90 minutes. But it also means that Germany vs. Spain lived up to the billed hype, as was played as you’d expect a Germany vs. Spain match to be played.
Where Spain looked to get the ball on the ground and move it around as their players milled around the pitch, fluidly switching through positions as the play dictated, Germany came forward with devastating accuracy. Playing out from the back was enough to undo a Spanish team who, whilst technically gifted, had routinely struggled to make their ability count.
Caught out in the first minute and conceding in their first game against Finland, Spain could only make it until the third minute before going a goal down to Germany. When an unfathomable short pass from Sandra Paños was seized on by Klara Bühl, there…
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Source : espn
