Germany defeats Italy on penalty kicks in Euro 2016 quarterfinal game
Jonas Hector scored the winning goal as Germany beat Italy, 6-5, in a wild penalty-kick shootout to reach the European Championship semifinals on Saturday.
After the Euro 2016 quarterfinal finished 1-1 following extra time, Matteo Darmian had his penalty shot saved with the 17th attempt of the shootout to give Hector the chance to earn Germany a first win over Italy in major international competition in nine tries.
The left back slotted his kick beyond the reach of Gianluigi Buffon and the world champions were in their sixth straight semifinal at a major tournament.
Germany has won six of its last seven spot kicks since losing the final of Euro 1976 to Czechoslovakia.
The Germans advance to a semifinal on Thursday in Marseille against France or Iceland, which play Sunday in the last quarterfinal. Portugal and Wales play on Wednesday in Lyon in the other semifinal.
Mesut Ozil gave Germany the lead in the 65th minute, breaking open a tactical stalemate in Bordeaux by racing onto Hector’s deflected cross to steer in a finish from eight meters.
Leonardo Bonucci equalized by converting a penalty in the 78th, after Jerome Boateng handled Giorgio Chiellini’s flicked header. But Bonucci was one of the players to fail in the penalty shootout.
First-half substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger missed the opportunity to clinch victory for Germany in the shootout by blazing over his attempt. Hector made no mistake minutes later.
It was a fixture worthy of the final itself — Italy and Germany are Europe’s most successful football nations — but the game didn’t live up to its promise.
Dropping deep when not in possession, Italy’s defensive set-up stifled the Germans and made for a highly tactical contest of few clear-cut chances until Ozil’s goal.
Hector ran onto Mario Gomez’s inside pass and sent over a cross that deflected right into the path of the onrushing Ozil. The Arsenal playmaker calmly steered the ball home.
It was the first time the Germans had breached Italy’s famed back line all game, but they couldn’t hold on and finally conceded a goal at the tournament to Bonucci.
Extra time passed without significant incident, meaning penalties for the second time in the quarterfinals — after Portugal beat Poland. As Germany, as normal, came out on top.
