In the early morning of July 6, Beijing time, a focus battle was held in the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Cup. The Spanish team defeated the host Germany 2-1 in overtime and entered the top four of the European Cup for the second consecutive time. In this campaign, RB Leipzig attacker Olmo came on as a substitute. As a result, he sent the German team out with one pass and one shot. At the same time, he also personally organized the retirement ceremony for Kroos, leaving the latter to reap the consequences.
In this game, the German team launched a fierce press from the beginning, hoping to disrupt the Spanish team's passing rhythm. In the 4th minute, Cross used a vicious foul to knock down Pedri, who was breaking through with the ball. As a result, the latter could not hold on and had no choice but to leave in the 8th minute. However, the referee did not even issue a yellow card for this foul that resulted in serious injury, and the Spanish players' protests were of no avail. Of course, Cross didn't expect that he would suffer the consequences.
Although the general was lost at the beginning, it did not affect the morale of the Spanish players. Olmo, who was called in at the critical moment, also performed actively. In the first half, although the Spanish team had a slightly lower ball possession rate of 47%, it shot 4 of 8 shots on target, which was a clear advantage compared to the German team's 3 shots and 2 on target.
In the 51st minute of the second half, the Spanish team took the lead in breaking the deadlock. At that time, the 16-year-old Yamal broke through with the ball on the right and sent a cross. Olmo pushed the ball smoothly while running in the penalty area. The ball went straight to the dead center, and the German goalkeeper Neuer was beyond his reach. Spain led 1-0. Then the German team also moved forward, with Phil Kruger and Mittelstadt coming on to replace Raum and Gundogan. In the 67th minute, Olmo pushed away Kroos and advanced at high speed. The latter had to commit a foul and received a yellow card. In the 76th minute, Phil Kruger fell to the ground and shot at the post, and the German team missed the opportunity to equalize the score.
In the 89th minute of the game, Wirtz received an assist from Kimmich and scored with a blast. The German team equalized the score at the last moment and dragged the game into overtime. However, this kind of escaping did not give them the ideal ending. At the last moment of overtime, Olmo sent a cross from the left, and Merino, who came on the bench, succeeded with a header, and Spain once again took the lead 2-1. As Phil Kruger's header missed the post, the Spanish team finally won the score and entered the semi-finals.
In this campaign, the Spanish team had a ball possession rate of 48%, 18 shots, 6 shots on target, and 2 goals, while the German team took 23 shots, 5 shots on target, and scored 1 goal. In order to win the game, the Spanish team paid the price of 1 serious injury, 7 yellow cards and 1 red card, while the German team also had 8 yellow cards. Olmo played 112 minutes as a substitute in this game. He took 3 shots, 2 shots on target, scored 1 goal and sent 1 assist. He contributed a game-high 6 breakthroughs and 5 successful breakthroughs, and caused 4 fouls. . In addition, he also scored 3 key passes, 1 clearance and 1 interception, and won 9 of 14 ground duels. After the game, the Leipzig attacker scored a game-high 9.0 points. His performance also makes people sigh that he is indeed the person Guardiola likes.
The 26-year-old Olmo currently plays for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. Although he only played 25 games due to injury last season, he still scored 8 goals and 5 assists. Excellent foot skills and first-class passing and shooting are impressive. Manchester City and Guardiola regard him as De Bruyne's ideal successor. Olmo's contract has a liquidated damages clause of 60 million euros, which is a piece of cake for Manchester City. And his outstanding performance in the European Cup will probably make Manchester City firm in their determination to sign him. Perhaps next season, we can see Olmo display his talents at the Etihad Stadium.
