A night of unparalleled drama unfolded in the Nations League quarter-final second legs, delivering a staggering 21 goals, multiple extra-time periods, and two nail-biting penalty shootouts.
The chaos culminated in France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain securing their spots in the semi-finals, set to be hosted in Stuttgart and Munich this June.
The evening, described as “bedlam” by many, saw teams throwing caution to the wind, resulting in a staggering 131 total attempts on goal across the four matches.
The results were as follows:
- France 2-0 Croatia (agg 2-2, France win 5-4 on pens)
- Germany 3-3 Italy (agg 5-4)
- Portugal 5-2 Denmark (agg 5-3)
- Spain 3-3 Netherlands (agg 5-5, Spain win 5-4 on pens)
The night began with Cristiano Ronaldo’s missed penalty for Portugal against Denmark, a rare blemish in his illustrious career.
However, Portugal recovered to secure a decisive victory.
Meanwhile, in Germany, a dominant first-half display, highlighted by Joshua Kimmich’s quick-thinking corner leading to a goal, stole the show.
The assist was enabled by the quick throw in from 15 year old ball boy Noel Urbaniack, who gained fame after the game. “We had brief eye contact” Urbaniack said. “I saw he wanted the ball and I quickly threw it to him. It was my first time as a ball boy.”
France, facing a 2-0 deficit from the first leg, found hope through a stunning free-kick from Michael Olise.
The goal ignited their comeback, with Ousmane Dembele later leveling the aggregate score, forcing extra time. Italy, trailing Germany 3-0 at halftime, staged a remarkable resurgence, with Moise Kean scoring twice.
A controversial overturned penalty decision denied them a potential equalizer, but they did score a penalty at the death, however it was too late.
Portugal secured their semi-final berth in extra time, while Spain and the Netherlands engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth contest.
Teenager Lamine Yamal scored in extra time for Spain, only to be answered by Xavi Simons of the Netherlands. The game eventually went to penalties.
In Spain, Unai Simon emerged as the hero, saving a crucial penalty to send his team through. In France, Mike Maignan’s two penalty saves proved decisive, securing France’s progression in a dramatic shootout.
“We were convinced we were going to do it, we needed a game like this to get our fans back with us,” said Kylian Mbappe, capturing the essence of the night’s electric atmosphere.
