Euro 2016: We deserved to win, says Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer

A Mesut Ozil goal had put Germany in front before Leonardo Bonucci made it 1-1 from the penalty spot with 12 minutes of normal time remaining.

And he was determined to stop the defender scoring in the shoot-out after Simone Zaza and Graziano Pelle had also failed to hit the target for Italy.

“I’ve never experienced a penalty shootout like it before”, Neuer said.

Italy tied the score in 78th minute when Bonucci stepped up and fired a wonderful penalty shot past the outstretched limbs of Neuer and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Germany’s Manuel Neuer makes a save during the penalty shootout during Euro 2016 quarter final soccer match at Stade de Bordeaux in France, on Saturday, July 2, 2016.

Germany ended 54 years of misery against Italy at major tournaments by taking a familiar route to victory: the penalty shootout.

Germany – who have now made it to the last four of six consecutive major tournaments – will go on to face France or Iceland in Thursday’s semi-final.

Germany players celebrate after beating Italy in the penalty shootout in the Euro 2016 quarterfinal match at the Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux Saturday.

They will be without centre-back Mats Hummels, who is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament. No wonder the 38-year-old Buffon walked off the field in tears afterward.

In the end, Germany got their shit together and saw off the Italians after penalty number nine.

“The second yellow card hurts now, but it means my battered body has two or three extra days to recover”, he added with an eye on next weekend’s final.

Then Neuer saved Matteo Darmian’s spot kick, paving the way for Jonas Hector to be the hero with the winning shot.

“They have great individual quality”, he said. “We really believed in this dream but we know that football can bring you joy and sadness, but the players can go home and they can be proud of their effort”, said Italy Coach Antonio Conte.

He now leaves to take over at Chelsea but insisted he departs as a proud man at having proved so many people wrong to lead his country to within a whisker of the European Championship semi-final.

“I thank the President for allowing me this extraordinary experience that will stay with me forever”.