The Most Thrilling Finals in UEFA EURO Championship

 

Only a few finals can be considered the most thrilling finals in EURO history.

EURO 2024 is coming to an end as the tournament sees two finalists square off in Berlin for the trophy. Spain is the clear favourite, as they managed to eliminate the host Germany and one of the pre-tournament favourites, France, with a 2-1 win each. Rodri and Co. have been the most convincing team so far, as they have won all games in the competition without a single draw or even going through penalties to ease past their opponents.

Meanwhile, England is the unlikely finalist due to their unconvincing form on the way to the summit. Yet, Gareth Southgate’s men managed to defy the odds and advance to the EURO final consecutively.

The fans would expect their encounter to be exciting or even thrilling with more than just one goal, and both sides did score instead of a one-sided victory or, worse, dull and goalless. These finals might be setting the perfect example of what the best final should be. Here are those notable classic clashes at the end of the tournament.

USSR vs. Yugoslavia (EURO 1960)

The first edition of UEFA EURO staged one of the most exciting finals in history, despite only three goals being scored throughout the game. Both sides had rather equal chances to score and win. The Balkan side dominated the game at first and forced Lev Yashin to make several saves. Yet he did have to concede, as Milan Galic found the back of the net just two minutes before the interval.

In the second half, the Soviet Union began to take control of the game and soon found the equaliser in the 49^th minute through Slava Metreveli. The Georgian-rooted player took advantage of the rebound as Yugoslav goalkeeper Blagoje Vidinic was unable to catch the ball from Valentin Bubukin’s long-range shot. The Torpedo Moscow man, who was nearby, passed the ball into the empty net. The game had to go through extra time. It was USSR that managed to pick up a win as Viktor Ponedelnik bagged a winning goal through his header in the 113th minute. The Soviet Union was officially the first EURO champion.

Germany vs. Czechia (EURO 1996)

The 1996 final was the first edition with the Golden Goal rule, which enabled the team scoring the first goal during extra time to win the game without waiting till the end of the period. The match between Germany and the Czech Republic was tight and intense. Both sides had a number of attempts. Czechia’s goalie, Petr Kouba, had to deny the attempts from Stefan Kuntz and Jurgen Klinsmann in the first half, while Der Panzer’s Andreas Koepke did more in the second half. Czechia should have scored goals before the interval if their frontman, Pavel Kuka, had had more clinical finish and composure to score. He had been able to penetrate Germany’s backline at least twice but failed to convert his shot into goal and was too late to make a quick pass in the clearing for his teammates.

Dusan Uhrin’s men did open the scoreline through a penalty successfully taken by Patrik Berger in the 59th minute. Yet, Die Mannschaft levelled the score as Oliver Bierhoff headed home in the 79th minute. The match once again had to continue in extra time. Yet, it did not take long for Bertie Vogts’s side to seal the victory as Bierhoff netted his second and winning goal. It was the first golden goal in EURO. 

France vs. Italy (EURO 2000)

The 2000 final also had to be decided by Golden Goal. Yet, this time it was more dramatic than four years earlier. It was the clash of the titans between France and Italy—no dark horse at the summit like in the last two editions. The fans expected a tight fixture, and such came true. Les Blues were on the dominant side, and Gli Azzurri played defensive first naturally and engaged in a counterattack afterwards. Thierry Henry and Co. had waves of attack from all directions, but the Italians employed a layered defence line that kept the French at bay.

Such a tactic came to fruition as Dino Zoff’s men opened the scoring with Marco Delvecchio’s tap into the back of the net. They even had a chance to double their lead, but the substitute, Alessandro Del Piero, spurned the clear opportunities twice; one went wide and the other was denied by Fabian Barthez. Les Blues were more motivated than ever to find the equaliser as Sylvain Wiltord, Robert Pires, and David Trezeguet came off the bench. They relied on the attack on the wide flank to break the deadlock, and it worked. Wiltord struck the ball into the far side of the post after 90+4 minutes to force an extra time. Their winning goal finally came in the 103rd minute as DavidTrezeguet blasted the ball into the net, taking advantage of Pires’s pass from the edge of the goal line. France deserved the silverware and demonstrated their mentality as a World Cup winner.

Czekoslovakia vs. Germany (EURO 1976)

The most thrilling final in EURO history is probably the one in 1976. West Germany, the World Cup winner, was set to meet Czekoslovakia, which denied the chance of the 1974 FIFA World Cup final repeat after they smashed Netherlands 3-1 in the semifinal. Franz Beckenbauer and Co. were tipped to defend the title as they were the clear favourites.

However, the game did not go as expected. The Czechs were able to put pressure on Die Mannschaft by relying on the switching attack and pace of their forwards and midfielders. They even took the lead when Jan Svehlik took advantage of the rumble in the six-yard box in the 8^th minute. Then, the skipper, Karel Dobias, doubled their lead with a long-range shot. Germany finally scored a lifeline through Dieter Muller three minutes later. In the second half, the game was more intense, and both teams traded attacks and attempts. Both shot stoppers, Ivo Viktor and Sepp Maier, had to make several clinical saves. The Germans finally equalised through Bernd Holzenbein’s header in the 89th minute. The excitement still continued during the extra time, but neither side managed to put themselves upfront. The shootout had to be done, and the executors from both teams had not missed a single shot until Uli Hoeness’s. His strike flew over the post. Czekoslovakia’s last taker made an iconic shot that has inspired other stars to do the same, from Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo, and Lionel Messi. He was none other than Antonin Panenka. The Eastern European side clinched their first silverware in the major competition. It was also the only time Germany lost on penalties.