Luis de la Fuente believes he has the "best team and the best players" at Euro 2024 as Spain aim to down hosts Germany in the quarter-finals.
Spain have won all four of their matches so far while conceding just once, an unfortunate own goal from Robin Le Normand before they came from behind to hammer Georgia 4-1 in the round of 16.
La Roja are the only team with a 100% winning record at this stage and have even drawn comparisons to the squad that won back-to-back editions of the Euros in 2008 and 2012.
While De la Fuente is not getting ahead of himself, he has no doubt his side can pose Julian Nagelsmann's team problems in Stuttgart on Friday.
"We are ambitious, and we knew that no one has won the first four matches of a Euro," De la Fuente said.
"We have the best team and the best players. We are going to fight for it, and we know what we have ahead of us, which is Germany.
"There is quality, commitment and confidence. The next opponent is a powerhouse, with great players. It is a well-known German machine. It will be a very close match, but we are very confident of our game.
"Now the eight best in Europe are there and what determines whether you are a strong team is knowing how to row and push at the right moment. The difficulty increases with each match and now Germany awaits."
Meanwhile, Germany seem to have put recent major tournament woes behind them as they cruised into the last eight with a comfortable 2-0 win over Denmark.
Nagelsmann's team have scored 10 goals in four games at Euro 2024 so far, with their goals per game average (2.5) their highest at a major tournament since their triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign (2.6).
With Spain being tipped as the slight favourites in this tie, Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan does not think the hosts should be written off so fast.
"We should not be hiding against Spain," said Gundogan. "As a team we can more than keep up with them. We also have extreme qualities.
"I think the Spaniards have more respect for us than they tend to admit in public."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Spain – Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal has provided two assists for Spain at Euro 2024, becoming just the third teenager on record (since 1980) to provide multiple assists at the competition, after Enzo Scifo (1984) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2004).
The 16-year-old Barcelona winger is also the only Spain player on record to create 10+ chances and complete 10+ dribbles in a single edition of the European Championships.
Germany – Jamal Musiala
Jamal Musiala has scored in three of Germany's four games at this tournament, finding the net three times from just seven shots overall.
He is currently joint-top in the race for the Golden Boot, while the only player to score more goals in a single edition of the tournament while aged 21 or younger was Wayne Rooney for England in 2004 (four).
MATCH PREDICTION: SPAIN WIN
While the Opta supercomputer is leaning more towards this game heading to extra time or even penalties, Spain are given the slight advantage to advance from this tie, with 37.2% to Germany's 34.7%.
This will be the fourth meeting between Spain and Germany at the European Championships, with Spain winning two (1984 and 2008) to Germany's one (1988). Their last such meeting was in the 2008 final with Spain winning 1-0 thanks to a Fernando Torres strike.
These sides last met in the 2022 World Cup when they played out a 1-1 draw in the group stage, extending Spain's unbeaten streak over Germany to four matches in major tournaments (winning two, drawing two).
However, no host nation has ever been eliminated from the quarter-final stage of the Euros from the four previous instances. England won a penalty shootout against Spain in 1996, the Netherlands beat Yugoslavia 6-1 in 2000, Portugal beat England on penalties in 2004, and France defeated Iceland 5-2 in 2016.
Germany are also unbeaten in their last eight games against La Roja on their own turf (winning five and drawing three) since losing their first meeting with Spain on home soil (2-1 in a 1935 friendly).
Nagelsmann's men are also competing in their 19th major tournament quarter-final (14 at World Cups, five at the Euros); they have won all four previous matches at this competition (1996, 2008, 2012, 2016).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Spain – 37.2%
Draw – 28%
Germany – 34.7%
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
