Florian Wirtz has enjoyed a pretty spectacular season at club level but may have just etched his name into German folklore.
The talented Bayer Leverkusen star came up trumps to deliver for Germany when they most needed it at Euro 2024, smashing home a leveller with just minutes left on the clock to help Julian Nagelsmann's side force extra time against Spain.
With Dani Olmo having opened the scoring, the game looked to be heading his nation's way only for Joshua Kimmich's timely header to be volleyed home superbly by Wirtz, speaking wild scenes in Stuttgart, perhaps some of the best we have seen at the tournament thus far.
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Germany needed a hero after Olmo's opener in the second half and boy did they get it with time ticking down drastically at the MHP Arena. A long looping cross from Maximilian Mittelstadt was headed back across the area to Wirtz, who needed no guidance as to what to do from there.
ITV Sport's cameras could be seen bouncing around as everyone was left flabbergasted by Wirtz's technical brilliance, who may have taken a leaf out of fellow young star Jude Bellingham's late drama in helping force an extra 30 minutes of action.
Gaizka Mendieta, on punditry duties for ITV, insisted Spain was wrong to take off Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal, who has consistently impressed at Euro 2024, stating how his talents help Spain push up the pitch when needed in vital moments.
"I think they drooped too deep too soon and taking off Lamine Yamal made it difficult as he kept the ball high," began the Spaniard following Germany's late leveller. "They were always trying to attack instead of defending but in the end they were pegged back."
FLORIAN WIRTZ SCORES FOR GERMANY! 🔥The youngster equalises for the home nation in the 89th minute and they're back in the game 🇩🇪#Euro2024 | #ESPGER pic.twitter.com/zZYS7sxEZlJuly 5, 2024
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