Czechoslovakia reached the final, where they faced West Germany. After extra time, the result was 2-2, and so the first penalty shootout in a European Championships final ensued. All the kicks were converted, until West Germany's fourth penalty taker, Uli Hoeness, ballooned his shot over the bar. With the score 4-3, Panenka stepped up to take the fifth and final Czechoslovakian penalty, to win the match. Despite the immense pressure, he fooled German goalkeeper Sepp Maier into diving for a save, before coolly chipping the ball straight down the middle and into the net. The sheer cheek of the goal led a watching French journalist to dub Panenka "a poet", and to this day his winning kick ranks amongst the most famous ever.
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