Germany head coach Joachim Low knew before the penultimate round-of-16 match on Monday evening that he'd face a nemesis of sorts in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016. Both Spain and Italy had proved to be insuperable foes in the 56-year-old's 12 years with the German national team.
The only time his men didn't face either Spain or Italy was in 2014 and, promptly, they finally hoisted another trophy after an 18-year wait.
At the home World Cup in 2006, back when Low was still Jurgen Klinsmann's assistant, Italy ended the dreams of an entire country in extra time in the semi-final.