Spain retires Kroos in a legendary match and knocks Germany out of the European Championship

Spain's European Championship will be remembered for a long time. Luis de la Fuente's team faced a match against Germany where they never gave up the ball or the attack, much less did they want to be closed in when Dani Olmo scored the first goal and silenced the MHPArena in Stuttgart.

Pedri was chosen for the midfield. Some rumors had Dani Olmo in the starting eleven, but De la Fuente does not gamble and prepares the matches and their development. What Spain did not count on was a Toni Kroos in butcher mode handing out kicks and stomps.

The German knew it could be his last game, but his experience gave him the ability to push the youngest players of La Roja to the limit and destabilize them.

So it was with Pedri, who got a very hard tackle in the fourth minute that was not enough for Anthony Taylor to show him the deserved yellow card. Kroos' plan worked to the point of sending the Barça midfielder to the dressing room with a sprained knee.

Olmo took his place and was one of Spain's best performers in a game where everyone once again demonstrated a special solidarity between teammates. Next on Kroos' list was Yamal who suffered a nasty stomp that was not yellow either.

But Spain overcame that. Despite the fact that Morata is denied for the goal and Unai Simon is not a life insurance at the back, there are a number of perfect machines that could play for hours without fail. Carvajal, Rodrigo, Olmo, Fabián or Cucurella put calm to the lack of control of Williams and Yamal that scares opponents so much for their impudence.

Le Normand gave way to Nacho, who also has plenty of experience to play this type of game without making mistakes. Spain's game was based on dominating, getting inside and playing the ball or putting in crosses. In a play on the flank Yamal avoided the high cross and put a ball in front to Olmo who only had to push the ball away from Neuer's stretch.

Kroos was closer to retirement. Germany's chances crashed against the post or Simon's saves. Everything seemed to be going well. They were suffering, but they were winning until Wirtz sent the ball into the back of the net in the 89th minute after the Teutonic team sent high balls to Cucurella's area to take advantage of the jumps of Spain's shortest player. In extra time, Joselu, Merino and Oyarzábal appeared.

The three of them have options to play in the semifinals against France because Carvajal and Morata will not be able to play, in addition to Pedri's injury and Fabián's injury. Spain did not give up the attack, they did not shut themselves in and did not wait for penalties.

And the goal came in a cross from Olmo that Rüdiger did not reach and Merino headed in a perfect gesture that sent into the corner.

Kroos was retired. Out of soccer and with the bad image of a too violent last match that had no benefit. Spain completed a legendary match and a legendary victory. It finished off the organizing team of the tournament and is planted in the semifinals as the perfect team.

There will be France with a depleted Mbappé and a lack of goal shameful in view of the quality of players that Deschamps has. Spain and France. Tuesday at 21:00. Now there is no need to retire anyone, we just have to win with a team that will have too many novelties and that will not let De la Fuente sleep until he forms a perfect 11 with which to reach the final.