Euro 2024 & Copa America: the quarter-final schedule!
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
All you need to know about the Euro 2024 quarter-finals
After the Round of 16, in which most of the favorites came out on top, find out everything you need to know about the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Championship below:
- Spain - Germany (Friday, July 5 - 6:00 pm)
- Portugal - France (Friday, July 5 - 9:00 pm)
- England - Switzerland (Saturday, July 6 - 6:00 pm)
- Netherlands - Turkey (Saturday, July 6 - 9:00 pm)
Without further ado, check out our match-by-match analysis below!
Spain vs Germany: an early final?
Our tournament favorite according to our Euro 2024 prediction, Spain, have so far had a perfect tournament, winning their first 4 matches and conceding just one goal, a clumsy own goal against Georgia.
Having already beaten Italy and Croatia, La Roja now face another tough test in their bid to reach the last four of the tournament.
And while France were favorites before the tournament kicked off, on an almost equal footing with England, it's this superb Spanish team that our experts now favor... But it won't be an easy match!
Spain are now the favorites in our Euro 2024 prediction!
Indeed, Germany, the host nation of this Euro 2024, is hoping to achieve great things in front of its fans. After narrowly finishing top of their group in the group phase, the Mannschaft faced a tough opponent in the Round of 16: Denmark!
It was indeed difficult for the Germans, who came through mainly thanks to personal exploits and some questionable VAR decisions (notably the penalty awarded).
What is certain is that Nagelsmann's men will have to do much better in this clash. In fact, our Spain vs Germany prediction is available if you'd like to bet on the match!
Portugal vs France: what kind of match to expect?
For this second Euro 2024 quarter-final, we're also treated to a huge match-up between two of Europe's greatest nations. Unfortunately, at the moment, it's clear that these are two of the tournament's most disappointing teams...
While Portugal ran riot against Turkey in the group phase (3-0) with the help of the Turkish defense, the rest of the matches were far from mastered. Take, for example, the first match against the Czech Republic, where the Portuguese were in control before conceding the opening goal...
Worse still was the defeat to Georgia in the third group match, despite a slight turnover. And what about the match against Slovenia in the Round of 16?
Having had their chances to hit the net, Portugal also showed some signs of feverishness and, with a better Slovenian finish, could have been out of this Euro on Monday. It's clear, though, that they'll have to be far more effective in both areas if they're to beat France.
Two very disappointing teams face off for a place in the last four.
And from our point of view, there's clearly nothing to celebrate either! Although Les Bleus have once again shown themselves to be a solid team, with the Deschamps touch, we're taking very little pleasure in watching this team, and obviously regretting the untapped attacking potential.
Against Belgium in the Round of 16, Randal Kolo Muani's teammates needed a deflected shot on target to qualify... If the French team does go all the way, it won't be the most glorious tournament run in recent memory.
Before this round of 16 play-off match against their Belgian neighbors, France had just come through a relatively easy group phase, from which they didn't even manage to come out on top! After a hard-fought victory over Austria in their first match (1-0, own goal), Les Bleus failed to score against the Netherlands (0-0) despite numerous chances.
And in the last match against already-eliminated Poland, Kylian Mbappé, who scored from the penalty spot, and the Tricolores could do no better than a draw, condemning them to second place. For this clash, don't hesitate to consult our Portugal vs France prediction!
England vs Switzerland: wake-up call for the Three Lions?
After Friday's two quarter-final matches, it's time for another busy day on Saturday, opening with a superb match between England and Switzerland.
After an extremely disappointing group phase for an England who, it should be remembered, was the sportsbooks' favorite before the tournament kicked off, Gareth Southgate's men were expected to make a big last 16.
And once again, we can say that we were very disappointed. Up against Slovakia, a good team but still far inferior to the English on paper, captain Harry Kane's teammates were nearly nonexistent until the 95th minute, when Jude Bellingham scored an exceptional goal...
With a magnificent overhead kick, he sent his nation into extra time, where Kane gave his country the lead and qualification with a furious header. It was a close call for the English, but it was enough...
What if Switzerland were the surprise team at Euro 2024?
As we all know, every tournament has at least one surprise team. Morocco at the last World Cup, Denmark at Euro 2021... After eliminating France at the last European Championship, the Nati were obviously hoping to go further but ended up losing in extra time to Spain.
Will it be the case this time? Switzerland held their nerve against Germany in the group phase, and were even seconds away from taking all 3 points on the final day, as well as the group lead.
In the end, this second-place finish has put them in the most affordable section of the table on paper, even if Switzerland will come up against some of the toughest teams in this section.
And they have already booked their spot in the last 16 by eliminating a very sad Italy, the reigning champions, who seem to have passed through Euro 2024 like a ghost... Could they pull off a new feat against the English, who have been disappointing since the start of the tournament?
Netherlands vs Turkey: goals galore?
And we end these quarter-finals with an interesting match on paper, between two teams that have been playing well since the start of the Euro. It's fair to say that the Netherlands and Turkey have been putting on a good show, and we're obviously hoping they've kept some up their sleeves for this final match before the last four.
For the moment, with the exception of the match against Les Bleus, where the Dutch totally shut down the game and clearly played for a draw, it's fair to say that we've been well served in terms of spectacle. After beating Poland (1-2) and losing to Austria (2-3) in the group stage, the Oranje outclassed Romania in the Round of 16 (0-3).
As you'll have gathered, this is a team that generally shakes the net and boasts undeniable attacking quality. Against Turkey, we're expecting Cody Gakpo and his teammates to show up, and we're sure to see some shaking nets this Saturday evening!
Both teams have been on the attack since the start of the tournament, and we're in for a great game!
For their part, Turkey also put on a show. After a conclusive group stage (victories over Georgia 3-1 and the Czech Republic 1-2, with the Turks losing 3-0 to Portugal in between), Arda Güler and his teammates had a superb Round of 16 match against Austria, who had the status of real outsiders in this Euro 2024 after finishing ahead of France and the Netherlands.
And if the first half was exceptional for Turkey, the second was far more painful, with Austria trailing 2-0 and pushing hard to come back.
Although the Austrians reduced the deficit in the 66th minute, it could have gone to extra time had it not been for an exceptional intervention by Turkish goalkeeper Mert Günok in the dying seconds... As you can see, Turkey know how to score, but they also have a few defensive shortcomings that need to be corrected if they are to reach the last four!
All you need to know about the Copa America 2024 quarter-finals
Now that we've talked about the upcoming Euro 2024 matches, let's move on to another tournament, a little further west! The group phase of the Copa America 2024 has just ended, with a few surprises on the program, and we now know the quarter-finals:
- Argentina vs Ecuador (Thursday, July 6th - 8:00 PM)
- Venezuela vs Canada (Friday, July 6th - 8:00 PM)
- Colombia vs Panama (Saturday, July 7th - 05:00 PM)
- Uruguay vs Brazil (Sunday, July 7th - 8:00 PM)
For more match-by-match details, please read on!
Argentina vs Ecuador: a clear path to the final for the Argentinians?
In the first quarter-final of the competition, we find the great favorite of our Copa America 2024 prediction, Argentina! Reigning champions, Lionel Messi's team came through the group phase without a hitch and had an easier time of it than the other outsiders on paper. In particular, the Argentinians were able to count on the great Lautaro Martinez, currently the tournament's top scorer!
As far as today's opponents are concerned, Ecuador should not be underestimated. After losing their opening match thanks to an early red card, the Ecuadorians responded perfectly by taking 4 points against Jamaica and then Mexico, finishing and even eliminating the latter from the competition. With Enner Valencia up front, the Ecuadorians will be hoping to create the first sensation of these Copa America quarter-finals.
Venezuela vs Canada: the Venezuelan surprise
Venezuela were one of the surprises of the group phase. In a group that was far from easy, with Ecuador (whom we've just discussed) and Mexico, this nation was far from being the favorite to qualify. And yet... They simply won all 3 of their matches and in style! They conceded just one goal in all 3 matches, finding the net a total of 6 times.
For their part, Canada also created a minor sensation, finishing behind Argentina but ahead of Chile, a Copa America regular and one of the outsiders for this 2024 edition. The team-mates of Lille's Jonathan David are obviously keen to go further in the competition now that they've done their homework, and seem to have their chances in this quarter-final.
Colombia vs Panama: watch out for the Colombians!
We've reached the third quarter-final of this Copa America 2024, with a team to keep an eye on. Colombia are on a very long unbeaten run, having just held off Brazil in their last group match, securing top spot in their group and avoiding a quarter-final clash with Uruguay. The Colombians will obviously be the big favorites in this match, but don't underestimate their opponents.
After all, Panama qualified for the knockout phase ahead of the host nation, the USA. Although many observers were praising Team USA's many qualities, it was Panama who pulled off a real feat, beating the Americans and Bolivia to finish second in Group C with a fine 6 points.
Uruguay vs Brazil: the quarter-final clash!
And we finish with the biggest match of the quarter-finals, a true South American classic. Uruguay will be one to watch over the next few games, and could well be a threat to the title. Under Marcelo Bielsa's guidance, this team is performing very well, with a host of quality players. La Celeste finished top of their group, winning all three of their games, scoring 9 goals and conceding just 1.
Brazil, for their part, are no longer the dream nation they once were. Indeed, the Brazilians lack magic despite having some very good players such as Vinicius, Paqueta and Raphinha, but this is not enough. After being eliminated by Croatia at the last World Cup, Brazil also lost the final of the last Copa America... This match has all the makings of a trap for the Seleção, who will also be without Vinicius (suspended)...
