FC Barcelona player İlkay Gündoğan ready to face Germany against Spain at EURO 2024

FC Barcelona star İlkay Gündoğan is ready to face his German team against Spain in the quarter-finals of EURO 2024.

“We are looking forward to tomorrow’s game, a very difficult game, but there is no reason not to approach this game with confidence. Now, every game is like a final. It’s a matter of life and death. If people say that these are the two best teams in the tournament, it shows that we have done a good job. We are meeting at a very high level. There is nothing better for the fans than watching games like this,” Gündoğan said (captured by @iMiaSanMia). “We want to create a good atmosphere again with the way we play. The atmosphere in Stuttgart (against Hungary) was really good, comparable to Dortmund, I would say. It can push us more and make the Spaniards feel a little insecure. The feeling of playing away can quickly turn against you.”

One thing that doesn’t bother Gündoğan is Germany’s recent poor performance against Spain.

“This shows that they are not easy to beat. In the recent past, they have been better than us if we look at their track record. This is a fact. We want to change that tomorrow,” Gündoğan said.

If Germany are to change their fortunes against Spain, they will have to find a way to eliminate Gündoğan’s former Manchester City team-mate Rodri and his Barça colleague Lamine Yamal.

“I still remember when he arrived in Manchester. After training, he would sometimes spend half an hour chatting with Pep (Guardiola). He simply learned and perfected his game. He is the best player in the world in his position. You can never take someone like him out for 90 minutes, but you can make him think and doubt,” Gündoğan said. “Lamine is extremely ahead of his age. What the boy showed last season is unmatched. When I look at where I was at 16… it shows that this new generation is taking on a lot of responsibility very early. He is a very important player for the Spanish national team – and also for Barça in the years or decades to come.”

Finally, Gündoğan is not yet thinking about the consequences of such a defeat on his international career. Some wonder if the 33-year-old could consider retiring from international football.

“I haven’t thought about it yet. I also hope that tomorrow will not be Toni’s last match,” Gündoğan said.

Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Germany’s big match against Spain in the EURO 2024 quarter-finals? Then check out our Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show podcast where we analyze the fans’ excitement, two key positional matchups on the pitch, an estimation of Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI, and a prediction on the match! You can get the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show podcast on Spotify or below: