Euro 2024’s quarter-finals kick-off tomorrow with a blockbuster match between hosts Germany and Spain as the tournament heads towards its decisive final week. Here AFP looks at the state of play with some of the Euro’s heavy hitters facing off in the least eight: Big boys clash: Germany’s clash with Spain in Stuttgart pits the Euros’ two best performing sides against one another at least one round earlier than fans would have liked, due to an unbalanced knockout bracket which has four serious candidates for overall victory on one side. The winner of Friday’s tie will face either Portugal or France, both former European champions and teams packed with players from the continent’s biggest clubs, in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile England face Switzerland on Saturday after having scraped past Slovakia - ranked 45th in the world - in the last 16 and find themselves in the last eight having played way below expectations in each of their four matches. Big name flops: The Euros has brought together some of the best footballers on the planet but none of the biggest stars have shone so far as the big teams - Spain and Germany apart - have mostly been below-par. Cristiano Ronaldo looks like he’s gone one tournament too far while Kylian Mbappe has just a group stage penalty to his name and is a long way from the phenomenal form which won him the golden boot at the last World Cup.
England pair Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, respectively La Liga player of the year and the Bundes.
