Under lightning, thunder and torrential rain that stopped the game for half an hour, a graceful Germany accounted for a strong Denmark, supported by their goalkeeper Schmeichel until well into the second half. Luis de la Fuente’s Spain already knows that if it defeats Georgia this Sunday he will have to meet the hosts in Stuttgart.
2
Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, David Raum (Benjamin Henrichs, min. 79), Antonio Rüdiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala (Florian Wirtz, min. 80), Robert Andrich (Emre Can, min. 63), Leroy Sané (Waldemar Anton , min. 87), Ilkay Gündogan (Niclas Füllkrug, min. 64), Toni Kroos and Kai Havertz
0
Kasper Schmeichel, Jannik Vestergaard, Andreas Christensen (Jacob Bruun Larsen, min. 80), Joachim Andersen, Alexander Bah (Victor Kristiansen, min. 80), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Thomas Delaney (Christian Nørgaard, min. 68), Joakim Mæhle, Christian Eriksen, Andreas Skov Olsen (Yussuf Poulsen, min. 68) and Rasmus Højlund (Jonas Wind, min. 80)
Goals
1-0 min. 52: Kai Havertz. 2-0 min. 67: Jamal Musiala
Referee Michael Oliver
Yellow cards
Joachim Andersen (min. 56), Joakim Maehle (min. 59)
The first storm that struck was that of Germany, with an overwhelming start. With Andrich alongside Kroos, Gündogan released and with Raum, Kimmich, Musiala and Sané attacking the flanks, the German footballers matched with their initial volley the sparkling lightning bolts that split the black storm clouds that menacingly approached the roof of the Westfalenstadion in the litany.
Within a quarter of an hour, Germany had a goal disallowed from a corner by Scholotteberg for a previous tackle by Kimmich and Schmeichel Jr. recalled those nights when his father, Peter, made himself seem unbeatable. He flew past a hard shot from Kimmich, headed a poisoned volley and saved Havertz with a well-placed but weak volley. Germany was a whirlwind and its enthusiastic fans cheered with delight as the lightning turned to thunder. The first one that broke sharp and sharp did indeed shock the fans. It coincided with the lowering of the revolutions of the steamroller that Germany had been for a quarter of an hour.
A long ball from Andersen to Eriksen was converted into a very fine piece of work. He also caught the ball with the outside of his boot and got past Rüdiger to take a shot that the Madrid centre-back was able to deflect thanks to his quick reaction. The move gave way to a Denmark that was better at setting the pace against a stunned Germany. The match entered a low zone of high tempo and little artillery while the darkened sky lit up by thunder was already settling over the roof of the coliseum. A storm was approaching and it broke out with a torrential downpour that forced the referee to stop the match in the 35th minute. The deluge became biblical with two waterfalls that fell from the corners of one of the roofs as a poster image of this Euro Cup. The players and the refereeing team disappeared through the entrance to the changing rooms to take shelter from the storm, while only a few brave souls among the public did not run to the covered stands or to the vomitories. There, during the half hour that the match was stopped, the fans of both teams took advantage of the opportunity to stock up on beer while the confectioner’s message was played over the stadium’s loudspeakers. Life is Life from Europe.
With no sign of the thunderstorm in the sky and the clouds already squeezed to the limit, the match resumed. Germany wanted to repeat their initial cyclone and Havertz headed in a good Raum curler. Of course, Schmeichel’s chest was perfectly placed. Denmark responded with a dizzying transition after a bad pass from Sané. Eriksen made it academic with a first touch that sent Delaney running to stand on the edge of the area and assist the brave Hojlund. The latter, who forced a point, could barely get his boot under the ball for a chip that Neuer deflected.
The break brought another punishing Germany, which was startled when centre-back Andersen pounced on a loose ball from a corner and beat Neuer with a low, left-footed shot. The VAR declared him offside and he was doubly penalised for the next play. A cross from Raum hit him on the hand. The referee didn’t see it, but the video referee did. Havertz was unforgiving. The goal unleashed the second storm of German football. Havertz himself, with that elegant and powerful stride, twice faced Schmeichel. As a class player that he is, he tried to finish with subtle touches that went just wide. It was Musiala who set up the decisive second goal. It was in one of those sequences that the new paradigm encourages when the team trying to play out from the back breaks the pressure with a pass that crosses the lines and finds the free man ready to run into the open field. Musiala did not fail. Spain, if it can handle Georgia, should take note.
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