Ace the C1 Advanced Key Word Transformations Challenge 2025 – Transform Your Language Skills Today!

The choice that indicates the speaker was taken aback by the result reflects an unexpected reaction to Germany's performance against Spain. This suggests that the outcome was surprising or contrary to what the speaker anticipated, which could imply a sense of shock or disbelief about how the match unfolded.

When someone is taken aback, it typically means that the result caught them off guard, indicating a strong emotional response. In the context of sporting events, this often points to a deviation from expected performance levels—perhaps Germany had been favored to win or had previously performed well, leading to a surprising defeat.

This choice effectively captures the idea of a notable and unforeseen reaction, aligning with common feelings experienced by fans or commentators witnessing unexpected outcomes in sports. The other options imply either a level of appreciation, discontent, or indifference, which wouldn't accurately convey the sense of surprise indicated in the question.