Highlights:
Mikel Merino crushed Germany hearts deep into extra-time. Spain had to win the game twice after Florian Wirtz cancelled out Dani Olmo's opener; Spain progress to face France in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
Spain became the first nation to dump the hosts out of a European Championship at the quarter-final stage after Mikel Merino's 119th-minute header snatched an epic 2-1 win over Germany in Stuttgart.
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With 65 seconds of extra time remaining, Merino - who made 25 appearances for Newcastle in the 2017/18 season - rose to meet Dani Olmo's cross to send Spain into a semi-final against France on Tuesday night in Munich.
Substitute Olmo's strike lit the blue touch paper moments into the second half after not initially being selected from the start - replacing the injured Pedri after just eight minutes.
Julian Nagelsmann turned to Niclas Fullkrug, who immediately caused the Spanish defence problems and struck the near post when he outmuscled Nacho to meet Florian Wirtz's cross.
There would be late drama as Germany refused to let the opportunity of a home Euros slip them by with Wirtz converting Joshua Kimmich's header back across goal following Maximilian Mittelstadt's deep cross (89).
Spain feared the prospect of a shoot-out against a nation who haven't lost one since 1976 - but Merino's dramatic winner ensured there would be no further heartache from 12 yards having gone out of the last three major Championships in such fashion.
Dani Carvajal was shown a second yellow card in the final seconds of the match but La Roja held on. Merino said: "It was me who scored the goal but this was just proof of the family we are. It was the whole team which was responsible for it - the effort we put in on the training field, the gym. The moments nobody but us can see."
How Spain sent Germany packing
Germany only got going after Olmo's intervention. Their coach Nagelsmann threw everything he could at resuscitating his below-par charges, but Spain appeared far too savvy in the eye of the Stuttgart second-half storm.
They had never won against the host team in a knockout match in the Euros or the World Cup. At the 10th attempt, that changed.
The Spaniards have been in imperious form at this tournament in recording five straight wins with electric duo Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal a constant menace for opposing defences down the channels. Replicating the achievements of 2008 and 2012 is coming into sharp focus.
Team news
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann made two changes to his line-up with Jonathan Tah and Emre Can coming in to the team to face an unchanged Spain.
After missing their last game against Denmark due to suspension, Tah returned to the line-up to play as Antonio Ruediger's centre-back partner in place of Nico Schlotterbeck while Can made his first start in the tournament replacing Robert Andrich in midfield.
The only surprise with Spain's line-up was that manager Luis de la Fuente fielded an unchanged team in consecutive games for the first time since taking over in January 2023.
After a feisty first half which saw Kai Havertz come closest to breaking the deadlock with half chances - one header straight at Unai Simon and another that lacked power on his right foot - Spain seized their moment.
On the eve of this contest, Pedri said he had hoped this would prove Toni Kroos' last game as a professional, but the Barcelona midfielder was forced off following a firm challenge from his Real Madrid counterpart inside five minutes. The Spanish federation later confirmed that the player had suffered an internal lateral sprain to his left knee.
Kai Havertz missed the best of the first half chances
The game lost a supreme talent but gained another in Olmo, whose intelligence shone throughout. While playing here for RB Leipzig last season, he was part of a 5-2 hammering against Stuttgart.
But it was the clever timing of his run onto Lamine Yamal's low ball which appeared to have settled this tetchy contest six minutes after the restart.
Germany were only then in a hurry as Wirtz and Fullkrug were summoned off the bench. Havertz failed to capitalise on a poor clearance by Simon as his attempt from distance landed on the roof of the net. It was one of 11 efforts in normal time after Olmo's opener.
Spain retreated, they wasted time. They thought they had won. But Wirtz had other ideas as he kept his composure to steer Kimmich's header back across goal into the far corner via the post.
Florian Wirtz is Germany's youngest ever knockout stage goalscorer at the EUROs
Nearly an entire additional 30 minutes passed of shots being traded without a knockout blow - until Merino crushed the dreams of the majority inside the MHP Arena with his well-placed header from Olmo's cross.
There was still time for Carvajal to receive a second bookable offence for cynically hauling down Jamal Musiala, already in the knowledge he was suspended in the event of a semi-final.
That could so easily have been snatched away moments earlier when Fullkrug met Thomas Muller's cross at the near post but headed wide. After 40 shots, 16 yellow cards and a late red, the night belonged to Spain.
This was only the fourth match in EUROs history to see three different players score as a substitute (excl. own goals), after Russia v Czechia in EURO 1996, Italy v Austria at EURO 2020, and Croatia v Spain at EURO 2020
Stats:
Merino follows in father's footsteps to break Germany hearts. Mikel Merino sent Spain through in the 119th minute
A late equaliser from Germany in normal time, a late winner from Spain in extra-time. This one took a while to get going but when it did, my word it was pulsating.
This really was a case of two European heavyweights slugging it out with 39 fouls in this match, the most in a single Euros fixture since Croatia faced Portugal in 2016.
Spain were on their knees when Wirtz struck, but their pedigree saw them over the line. It is now six times they have reached the semi-finals at the European Championship, with only Germany (8) participating in more in the tournament's history.
This was the third-latest winning goal in a UEFA European Championship match (118:52), after Michel Platini for France vs Portugal at Euro 1984 (118:53) and Artem Dovbyk for Ukraine vs Sweden at Euro 2020 (120:36).
Olmo started the game on the bench but had a big impact
Merino failed to set pulses racing during his time at Newcastle, scoring once in 25 appearances before being shipped out to Real Sociedad after just one season.
Merino's father Angel scored for Osasuna in a second round UEFA Cup tie in November 1991 at Stuttgart. Mikel mimicked his celebration from that night as he danced around the corner flag in the same stadium, 33 years on for his country.
That is the beauty of international football. His leap reminded me of Tim Cahill, legs spread like a frog as he ghosted behind Antonio Rudiger to place his header into the corner.
Three suspended - one very doubtful player for Spain
Dani Carvajal - sent off for two yellow cards (was suspended anyway on one yellow)
Robin Le Normand - suspended for breaching yellow card limit
Alvaro Morata - booked for celebrating the winner and breached yellow card limit
Pedri - highly unlikely to play given his early knee injury
De la Fuente: My players are insatiable
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente: "My players are insatiable. I'm proud to coach players like this. I've known many of them for many years.
"They're used to competing at the highest level and they have an opportunity to win the tournament. This team are always going to compete. There's always room for improvement, of course, but we can't question their pride, quality and commitment.
"This is a historic night. I'm proud to be able to represent our country. How far we get, we will see, but we're absolutely convinced that we can get very far with this team."
"Our euphoria is totally under control. We're so happy, but we know that tomorrow is already another day. We can't control what happens on the outside, but we're thrilled that the country is supporting us."
On Germany's aggressive approach, he added: "This is football. I come from the 1980s, and you want to see how they played then, this doesn't shock me.
"I said to one, 'what do you want, they blow kisses?' These matches go to the limit. When you cross the white line, no compromise."
Nagelsmann: Painful defeat we didn't deserve
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann: "The game was too open in the first half. We were better in the second half and from the 60th minute onwards, we were clearly the better team. Our late [equaliser] was well-deserved. We conceded the winner with the last chance. Unfortunately we weren't able to apply enough pressure on the wing.
"I told [the players] that they don't deserve [to exit the competition]. We're all missing our families, but none of us wanted to leave. From the beginning of these last six weeks there's been a very good atmosphere in the group. You could tell we gave everything to win this game."
"Every player, whether they started or were on the bench, gave everything they had to win the game. It's a painful one."
On the retiring Toni Kroos, Nagelsmann added: "It's impossible to over-appreciate Toni's career. It's probably unique for a German player. He's certainly one of Germany's biggest players. Everyone knows about his success but not everyone knows about his character. He spoke to the team in a very difficult moment for him personally. He always sees himself as part of this group."
Keane: Like two heavyweight boxers swinging for each other
"We watch all levels of football, and the percentage of goals that come from crosses. If you just keep putting it in the right area...
"It was like two heavyweight boxers swinging for each other. Players off the bench will impact these Euros. Those impacts will be huge.
"There's fatigue, they're tired physically and mentally. Rudiger will feel he could have done better for the winning goal. But let's give credit to Merino.
"It wasn't cagey. Some teams would sit at half-time of extra-time but both teams went for it. Love it. The winning goal was about getting the ball wide and bodies in the box. Just like the old days!"
Perfect Spain - Opta stats
Spain have won all five of their matches at Euro 2024 - they are only the third nation to win five in a row within a single edition of the finals (excluding shoot-outs), after France at Euro 1984 and Italy at Euro 2020, both of whom won those respective tournaments.
Germany have lost three of their last four knockout-stage games at the Euros (W1), as many as in their previous 12 at the finals beforehand (W7 D2 L3 - won both penalty shoot-outs after the two draws).
Dani Olmo became the first Spaniard to score two goals as a substitute at a single edition of the Euros, and third at any major tournament (World Cup/Euros), after Fernando Morientes at the 2002 World Cup and Álvaro Morata at the 2022 World Cup.
Spain's Lamine Yamal, aged just 16, became the first ever teenager to record three assists at a single edition of the Euros (all-time) or World Cup (on record, since 1966).
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