(Dortmund) Germany saved from the waters: Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala sent the host country of Euro-2024 to the quarter-finals at the end of a long tense match against Denmark (2-0), interrupted by a violent storm, Saturday in Dortmund.
For the first time since 2016, the Nationalmannschaft will play a quarter-final of a major tournament, against Spain or Georgia on Sunday, July 5 in Stuttgart.
But before ending a disastrous series of three tournaments interrupted in the group stage (World Cup-2018 and 2022) or in 8e final (Euro-2021), Julian Nagelsmann’s players came very close to another disappointment.
“It was a strange match, we had a top-level first 25 minutes, producing our best football of the tournament. […] We had to fight and we fought well,” summarized Julian Nagelsmann on the Magenta channel.
PHOTO KENZO TRIBOUILLARD, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Kai Havertz after scoring Germany’s first goal.
If Havertz, on penalty (53e), and Musiala, taking advantage of a rare error from the impeccable Kasper Schmeichel (68e), wrote a new page of this new summer fairy tale, in reference to the “Sommermärchen” of the 2006 World Cup which still makes Germany shudder, Joachim Andersen was the unfortunate hero.
The Danish defender initially thought he would give his team the advantage by propelling the ball poorly cleared by the German defense into Manuel Neuer’s goal (51e).
After a lengthy interruption to consult VAR, the goal was finally ruled out for offside, much to the relief of the still-shocked German fans.
But Andersen’s bad scores were not over: on the next action, forty seconds later, he turned away a German cross with his hand and offered a penalty to the Nationalmannschaft, transformed into a corner by Havertz (52e).
25 minute interruption
PHOTO ANDREEA ALEXANDRU, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A downpour forced a pause in the match.
Seven minutes later, the Arsenal attacking midfielder, running alone on the right flank, narrowly missed doubling the lead in the 59th minute.e minute. It was ultimately Musiala, on a solitary raid, who, taking advantage of Schmeichel’s hesitation, ensured the German victory and qualification.
In addition to the opener denied to Andersen, Denmark shook the Westfalenstadion at the end of the first period when Rasmus Hojlund, launched by Thomas Delaney, appeared alone in front of Neuer.
But the tireless German goalkeeper intervened, just as he saved his team by deflecting a shot from Hojlund (66e).
Germany could have avoided such a tense scenario if they had capitalised on their excellent first quarter of an hour in a one-sided manner.
But the 2014 world champions came up against Schmeichel, excellent on a shot from Joshua Kimmisch (6e), vigilant on a lobbed header from Nico Schlotterbeck (7e) and decisive on a volley in the middle of the race from Kay Harvetz (10e).
It was necessary to wait until the 21e minute for the Danes to show their noses, first through Christian Eriksen (21e), then by Joakim Maehle whose shot grazed Manuel Neuer’s crossbar (24e).
After the German lightning and the Danish clearing, a violent storm hit Dortmund, forcing the match referee to send both teams back to the locker rooms for twenty-five minutes.
If the sky remained dark and the thunder continued to rumble above Dortmund, for the Nationalmannschaft who dream of a fourth European title on July 14 in Berlin, everything is looking good. At least until July 5.