Key events
Nick Ames was at BVB Stadion Dortmund tonight, and his verdict has landed. Here it is! Congratulations to Germany, commiserations to Denmark, thanks for reading this MBM, and we hope that everyone in the stadium arrives home to some nice warm towels. Nighty night!
Post-match postbag. “With Switzerland putting Italy to the sword, and this easy win over Denmark, the feeling that Germany was wobbling has washed away in the rain. They look well-poised to go all the way. Admittedly, we’ll know a lot more about their level once they face Spain next round. Or a Georgia which has triumphed over the entire Iberian peninsula” – Kári Tulinius
“Michael Oliver doing his best to make sure that at least one Englishman is having a decisive influence at the Euros. Only a little sour grapes in that statement. Greetings from Denmark” – Mikkel Jensen
“With lightning having struck the Denmark net twice, Hjulmand’s men must be feeling something rotten in Dortmund” – Peter Oh
Now there’s a scoreline that doesn’t tell the whole story. An early Nico Schlotterbeck goal ruled out for Joshua Kimmich’s block on Andreas Skov Olsen. A biblical tempest. Joachim Andersen’s fine finish chalked off for a marginal offside on Thomas Delaney. Seconds later, Andersen concedes a penalty after handling David Raum’s cross, though you’ve seen referees be more lenient with the players so close to each other. Then an exquisite long pass by Schlotterbeck to release Jamal Musiala, who conjures a finish to match. It’s difficult to argue that Germany weren’t the better side and deserved winners, but the Danes didn’t have much luck and ran them close. Germany make it to the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time since Euro 2016, and the hosts will continue their party until next Friday at least, when they face either Spain or Georgia in Stuttgart!
FULL TIME: Germany 2-0 Denmark
Germany get some payback for the Euro 92 final. Denmark will always have Gothenburg.
90 min +5: Nothing comes of Germany’s corner.
90 min +4: Denmark are giving it one last push, though, and another ball into the mixer forces Rudiger to steam in and hoick behind for another corner, with Vestergaard lurking. But again the corner’s no good. Germany counter once more and nearly score this time, Havertz attempting to chip Schmeichel, who turns the ball around the post.
90 min +3: Nope. Play restarts, and Schmeichel blooters long. The ball pings off Anton and out for a corner. A goal here would alter the mood … but the corner’s easily cleared. Germany attempt to break but that’s no good either.
90 min +2: … however VAR is going to take a look. Possibly onside after all?
90 min +1: A long ball down the inside-right channel. Füllkrug takes it down, then Wirtz takes over. He’s clear. He draws Schmeichel and dinks in slow-motion, gracefully and cheekily, into the net. But the flag pops up for offside.
90 min: Havertz sashays down the right and finds Wirtz on the edge of the D. Wirtz shoots straight at Schmeichel, who may have had problems otherwise. There will be five additional minutes.
89 min: Wirtz dinks a ball down the left for Henrichs, who cuts infield before blootering a wild shot high and wide from 25 yards.
88 min: Sane makes way for Waldemar Anton.
87 min: Denmark push Germany back with a few passes hither and yon, but then the flag pops up for offside against Kristiansen, and the clock ticks on.
85 min: This game is petering out, and the home fans don’t mind a bit. Meanwhile Mac Millings is on tour in Germany, and here’s his latest missive: “I’ve not much to add regarding this game (no change there), but I can report that I was in a Croatian Uber (it’s like a regular Uber, but in Croatia) when Switzerland scored both their goals against Italy, and the driver’s reaction each time was a joy to witness. Or would have been, had I not been the passenger, worrying that maybe we weren’t quite in the right lane for a second or ten.”
83 min: Wirtz slips Füllkrug clear down the middle. Schmeichel star-jumps in the style of his dad, and deflects a shot wide left of goal. The flag pops up for offside, so it’s all moot.
81 min: … while Germany replace Raum and Musiala with Florian Wirtz and Benjamin Henrichs.
80 min: Denmark make a triple change: Christensen, Eriksen and Hojlund make way for Mikkel Damsgaard, Jonas Wind and Jacob Bruun Larsen.
79 min: Kimmich attempts to beat Schmeichel from inside his own half. Full marks for effort, and knocking a few seconds off the clock, if nothing else.
77 min: Eriksen takes this one as well. Rudiger hacks it out. Take two from the left. Havertz clanks this one clear with purpose, and soon the ball’s back at Schmeichel’s feet. That was a decent enough period of pressure by Denmark; the only problem was, they didn’t force Neuer into any sort of action.
75 min: Poulsen makes good down the right and wins a corner. Eriksen swings it in but Raum half-clears. The ball’s sent back into the mixer from the same flank and skims off Füllkrug’s head. Another corner for Denmark coming up, this time from the other side.
73 min: Kimmich passes long down the right for Havertz, who can’t quite fashion the space to cross for Füllkrug and is forced to turn tail. But Germany are buzzing around now, in pursuit of the third goal that would kill this game off totally. Meanwhile Joachim Andersen’s evening goes for bad to worse as he goes into the book. It’s not clear what for; it’s likely he doesn’t care any more.
71 min: A long punt down the middle nearly undoes Denmark. Füllkrug extends a leg in the hope of poking a dropping ball past Schmeichel, but can’t quite make contact. Schmeichel gathers.
70 min: Denmark make a double change, swapping out Delaney and Skov Olsen for Christian Nørgaard and Yussuf Poulsen.
GOAL! Germany 2-0 Denmark (Musiala 68)
A long pass by Schlotterback down the left. Musiala chases after the ball. Schmeichel thinks about coming out of his box to clear, but decides against it. Bad move. He enters the box. He’s got Füllkrug in the middle, and a square pass would give the sub a tap-in. But instead he opens his body and steers a shot into the bottom-right corner. What a finish!
67 min: Højbjerg slips Højlund into the box down the left. Højlund is one on one with Neuer … but slams the ball straight at the keeper. The rebound falls to Kimmich, who gently cushions a header back to Neuer. What ice-cool tidying up! Denmark have had their chances all right.
65 min: A double change for Germany, as Füllkrug and Can come on for Gündoğan and Andrich.
64 min: Havertz tears off down the right . He’s in acres. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Sane, who drags a shot wide left of an unguarded goal. The flag pops up for offside, saving some blushes, though VAR may well have had to get the rulers out had Sane scored. If Havertz did mistime his run, it wasn’t by much.
62 min: Some admin: Julian Nagelsmann has been booked for the temper-fuelled behaviour of his staff, while that offside for the Denmark goal may have been down to Delaney … though Andersen was also definitely off during the first phase of play. Anyway, here we are.
61 min: Mæhle is booked for dragging back Sane, then complaining about being penalised. He’ll miss the quarter-final should Denmark progress.
59 min: A ball is played to Havertz down the inside-left channel. It’s behind him, but he somehow manages to drag it with him anyway, bursting between Andersen and Vestergaard and clear down the inside-left channel. Outrageous skill! He enters the box, draws Schmeichel and … dinks a poor effort over the keeper and well wide right. He should have scored, but the skill to carve out the chance was so good, it’s difficult to criticise him too much. What a touch!
