The Several Early Finals in EURO History

 

Several games in UEFA EURO history could be considered early finals since they were staged too early.

EURO 2024 has reached the quarterfinals. Two of the four games, Spain vs. Germany and Portugal vs. France, might be held too early. The former clash should ideally take place at the summit, as both teams have been the top two sides with the most convincing form throughout the competition. Both encounters are also a repeat of the finals in the past, the 2008 and 2016 editions, respectively.

EURO has never been a stranger to early finals. In fact, between 1980 and 2012 editions, in which the contestants were still limited to eight and 16 in the final round, such classic clashes between top nations or favourites had been inevitable. However, the term ‘early final’ is probably more suitable for the meetings between the favourites or teams with best form taking place in the earlier stage of the knockout round. Here are the matches in EURO history touted for the early finals.

Germany vs. Netherlands (EURO 1988)

This is the first duel that could be regarded as the first early final in EURO. Ideally, both would have met in the summit instead of the semifinal, but Ruud Gullit and Co. only finished second in the group stage after losing in the opener. Both nations had been rivals for years, with Bayern and Ajax dominating the European Cup in the 1970s, their clash in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, and the historic issue spicing up their encounters.

The host (West Germany) was undoubtedly one of the favourites to win their title. Franz Beckenbauer’s men already became World Cup finalists in 1986. Except for the goalie, Harold Schumacher, Der Kaizer relied on the same key players in the squad as Lothar Mattheus, Rudi Voeller, Andreas Brehme, and Pierre Littbarski. They finished the early stage as the group leader.

The Netherlands might not have been tipped as the main favourites, but they were led by the legendary Rinus Michels in the dugout. He included all the best players in the final squad from the key figures in PSV’s success in clinching their first European Cup a month before the tournament, such as Hans Van Breukelen, Ronald Koeman, and Gerald Vanenburg, and the duo Milan stars Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten, their future teammate in San Siro, Frank Rijkaard, who was still playing for La Liga side Real Zaragoza, and Erwin Koeman, who helped the minnows. KV Mechelen snatched the Winners Cup 1988 by beating Ajax Amsterdam in the final.

The duel itself was a tight affair. Neither sides played defensively, as both traded attacks and attempted to score since the beginning. Jurgen Klinsmann, Ronald Koeman, Rudi Voeller, and Erwin Koeman, in turn, had their chances spurred. The host opened the scoring through Lothar Matthaeus in the 55th minute from a penalty spot. De Oranje also equalised from the penalty, which was well executed by Ronald Koeman. The winning goal was finally scored by the opposition side instead of the host. It was Marco Van Basten who slotted home into the far corner of the goal. 2-1 for the Netherlands. What sweet revenge from Rinus Michels after his men’s loss with the same score in the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

England vs. Germany (EURO 1996)

This was an ideal duel for the final, but it happened too soon. The host and favourite, England, had to take on their archrival, Germany, in the semifinal. Such a clash was unfortunately inevitable, as their path as group leaders led to that meeting.

Die Mannschaft might still have counted on the same players from their dismal World Cup campaign in 1994, with the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann, Andy Moeller, Mario Basler, Thomas Haessler, and Matthias Sammer. Yet, they still demonstrate their quality as the World Cup winners.

Meanwhile, the host was so ambitious to end their title drought and motivated by their own tournament slogan, ‘Football comes home’ to bring back their glory from 30 years before. The England boss, Terry Venables, had the luxury of top talents such as Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham, Graeme Le Saux, and Paul Ince, combined with experienced names like Paul Gascoigne, Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce, and David Platt. 

The classic duel between England and Germany has always been a mouthwatering one, especially the ones in the past. This clash was one of them. The Three Lions took an early lead through Alan Shearer’s header in the third minute, but Stefan Kuntz put Der Panzer back on level terms. The hosts had more clinical chances in the second half and extra time from Paul Gascoigne and Darren Anderton, while the Germans had one from Andreas Moeller’s long-range shot. The match eventually went on penalties, and England lost 6-5 after Gareth Southgate’s penalty was saved.

Spain vs. Portugal (EURO 2012)

Compared to the final itself, this Iberian duel was better, as Portugal was able to leave Xavi and Co. in frustration as they failed to break the deadlock despite knocking on the door and dominance in the game. Spain was the world champion and the reigning champion, with their iconic style of play rooted in Barcelona’s success, tiki taka. Portugal, on the other hand, has their superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Pepe, Joao Moutinho, and Rui Patricio. They managed to survive the group of death in the preliminary round by edging out 2010 FIFA World Cup runners-up, the Netherlands, and EURO 1992 champions, Denmark.

The game itself was intense, although Spain was still the dominant side. Paulo Bento’s men were able to nullify La Furia Roja’s attacking prowess as they were forced to attempt more long-range shots after failing to penetrate Portugal’s solid backline. The match then had to be decided by shootout, and Vicente Del Bosque’s side had a better winning mentality despite the fact that their first executioner, Xabi Alonso, unusually missed his penalty. They advanced to the final and defended their title.

France vs Germany (EURO 2016)

The clash between France and Germany is the last early final in the EURO. It was an ideal game for the final since Les Blues was the top favourite and the host, while Germany was the World Cup winner in 2014. Both sides had to square off in the semifinal.

This classic match was exciting to watch, with both sides trading shots and saving from their shot stoppers. Didier Deschamps’ men had to thank Antoine Griezmann, who put on a perfect display as the frontman. He netted a brace to add his tally to six, leading to the Golden Boot award. On the contrary, Thomas Muller and Co. had difficulty making a response despite creating a number of opportunities from Joshua Kimmich, Benedict Hogwedes, and Emre Can. None of them hit the target. Les Blues won 2-0 and progressed to the final. Unfortunately, they were stunned by a 1-0 loss against Portugal.