Spain reached the final of the Under-19 Euro Championship after a remarkable 6-5 extra-time victory over Germany in a classic semi-final encounter on Monday.
Real Betis forward Pablo Garcia was the hero for Spain, scoring four goals, including two in second-half stoppage time and the eventual winner two minutes from the end of extra time. Germany’s Max Moerstedt scored a hat-trick but ultimately ended up on the losing side of an unforgettable 11-goal thriller.
The match was evenly poised at 1-1 late in normal time after goals from Moerstedt and Garcia. However, the game exploded into life in second-half stoppage time. Garcia scored twice to give Spain a dramatic 3-2 lead, seemingly sending them to the final. But in the ninth minute of stoppage time, a long German free-kick caused chaos, leading to Spanish defender Andres Cuenca inexplicably heading the ball into his own net to force extra time at 3-3.
The drama continued as Tomas Marques put Spain 4-3 ahead, only for Moerstedt to score two more goals to complete his hat-trick and give Germany a 5-4 lead. Spain responded once again, with Jan Virgili levelling the score before Garcia completed his own incredible performance by rounding the goalkeeper to tuck in the winner in the 118th minute.
The defeat marks a chaotic end to the tournament for Germany, who exit having scored 12 goals and conceded 15 in just four matches. Last week, they were involved in another high-scoring match, drawing 5-5 with England in their final group game after leading 5-1 imn Under-19 Euro.
Spain, the defending champions, will now face either hosts Romania or the Netherlands in the final on Thursday.
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