Euro 2024 Drama: England And Spain Clinch Quarter-Final Berths After Late Victories

England and Spain have secured their spots in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals after thrilling victories. England's dramatic extra-time win over Slovakia sets up a clash with Switzerland, while Spain's comeback against Georgia means they will face Germany next. Here, we delve into the standout Opta statistics from these exciting last-16 matches.

England narrowly avoided an early exit thanks to Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. Bellingham's overhead kick in stoppage time, clocked at 94 minutes and 34 seconds, was England's latest goal in normal time at the Euros. This was also their first shot on target after a lacklustre performance.

Kane, making his record-breaking 79th competitive appearance for England, scored just 50 seconds into extra time. This marked the fastest goal ever in that period of the competition. With this goal, Kane has now netted 14 times in major tournaments, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo (22), Miroslav Klose (19), Gerd Muller (18), and Jurgen Klinsmann (16) among European players.

Jude Bellingham has been a force this season, scoring six goals in second-half stoppage time across all competitions. His goals have either equalised or put his team ahead each time.

Spain remains unbeaten in the tournament after overcoming an early setback against Georgia. Despite conceding an own goal by Robin Le Normand in the 18th minute, Spain rallied with second-half goals from Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams, and Dani Olmo to secure a 4-1 victory.

Spain's relentless attack saw them take 17 shots on goal in the first half alone, with Rodri scoring his first major tournament goal. This is the highest number of shots recorded by a team in the opening half of a European Championship knockout game since 1980.

Their total of 35 shots is also a record for Spain in a single match at either the World Cup or Euros since records began in 1966.

Young Stars Shine

Lamine Yamal continued to impress with his second assist of the tournament. The last teenager to achieve this feat was Cristiano Ronaldo during Euro 2004 when he helped Portugal reach the final.

Nico Williams made history by becoming the first player on record at the European Championships to score a goal, assist another, and complete all his passes (46/46) in a game he started.

Georgia's hopes were dashed by Spain once again. They have now lost all seven competitive meetings against La Roja, conceding 23 goals while scoring just four.

Historic Comebacks

This victory marked England's fourth comeback win at the European Championships. Previously, they had lost their first six matches when conceding first. Only France has more such wins with five.

Ivan Schranz nearly stole the spotlight for Slovakia with his third goal of the tournament. However, his efforts were overshadowed by England's late heroics. Schranz remains behind Robert Vittek’s record of four goals at a single major tournament for Slovakia set during the 2010 World Cup.

The quarter-finals promise more excitement as England faces Switzerland and Spain takes on Germany. Fans eagerly await these high-stakes encounters as Euro 2024 continues to deliver thrilling football action.