Key events
63 min The substitute Raum swishes over the bar from 25 yards. Sweetly struck but too high.
62 min “Surely,” says Richard Hirst, “the appropriate procedure for international tournaments is to blame Gareth Southgate?”
It is now!
61 min: Germany substitutions David Raum and Nico Schlotterbeck replace Jonathan Tah and Maximilian Mittelstadt.
59 min “That through ball for Musiala might not be Pass of the Tournament, but it was certainly one of the most aesthetically pleasing,” says Matt Dony. “A thing of beauty. Angles manipulated like a crack chiropractor. It deserved a goal. Of course, a Swiss victory is objectively a lot funnier than a German one, so I’m kind of glad it came to nothing. Shame, though. I’ll just watch the pass a few dozen times, and ignore what happened after.”
Yes very nice, very nice, very nice, but who the hell played it? I’ve got facts I need to get right here!
58 min Akanji makes an excellent tackle on Havertz right on the edge of the area, then Xhaka deflects Kimmich’s cross for a corner.
57 min Switzerland take a bit of time out in the Germany half, and then a bit more when Tah fouls Embolo. They’ve been really impressive.
55 min Musiala moves inside from the left and finds Andrich, who tees up Kroos 25 yards out. He tries to cut across a drive but mistimes the connection and belts the ball miles wide.
54 min At one end or another, a goal is coming. Germany are essentially playing 2-3-5 when they have the ball.
50 min: Chance for Germany! Musiala runs onto a superb through pass, possibly from Kimmich, and fires a shot from the edge of the area that is pushed away by Sommer. The rebound arrives awkwardly at Gundogan, whose follow-up shot goes well wide.
Musiala’s was the better chance but he shot too close to Sommer.
50 min “Is it a Uefa thing for teams to wear single colour kits rather than with contrasting shorts?” asks Andy Wood. “It’s strange seeing teams like Scotland or Germany without their contrasting shorts.”
I think the procedure is to blame Pep Guardiola. (I assume it’s a Uefa regulation but I don’t know for sure.)
48 min Moments later Embolo, who looks really good, moves dangerously into the area before being crowded out by three defenders.
48 min Embolo fires a killer ball to Widmer, who slips when through on goal. Ah, no matter: the flag went up once the ball ran through to Neuer.
47 min “If Germany manage to lose,” begins Ian Copestake, “I think the procedure is to blame Pep Guardiola.”
46 min Switzerland, currently top of Group A, get the second half underway.
Half-time reading
Half time: Switzerland 1-0 Germany
Switzerland are doing a number on Germany. They defended well and carried a threat on the break, most notably when Bologna’s Dan Ndoye scored a fine goal.
Germany had one or two moments, including a disallowed goal from Robert Andrich, but they’re finding it very hard to locate the eye in the Swiss needle. Maybe there isn’t one.
(Apologies for the delayed update by the way; we’re having a few technical problems.)
45 min “This is currently the one time living in NYC has been beneficial to watching football and cricket,” writes Rachel Clifton. “Amazing. Watched the incredible Afghanistan victory last night and have Copa America after this too.”
I imagine the rest of the time it’s a nightmare to live in NYC.
44 min Germany don’t want the half-time whistle because they’ve found their rhythm in the last five minutes.
42 min Germany are starting to stir. Musiala collects a loose ball 40 yards from goal, runs to the edge of the area and pokes the ball outside towards Havertz. It bounces awkwardly and Havertz belts his shot over the bar.
41 min Kroos takes a short corner, then crosses beyond the far post, where Rudiger heads wide. A difficult chance.
40 min “Switzerland has been one of the more impressive sides so far in this tournament,” writes Kári Tulinius. “I hesitate to suggest they’re dark horses, because experience suggests that they will go out in the round of 16, but if their levels don’t drop, they’ll give any team a game.”
I agree with every word. SO HOW DID THEY LOSE 6-1 TO PORTUGAL. I was MBMing that game and I was certain it would go to penalties after a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
38 min Tah is booked for an absurd high challenge on Embolo, which means he will miss Germany’s last 16 match.
Germany haven’t responded well to going behind; at the moment Switzerland look more likely to get the next goal.
37 min “I’m almost certainly missing something, but Musiala’s challenge wasn’t all that different from Ryan Porteous’s the other day, and Porteous got sent off,” says Mac Millings. “Are the rules that different for defenders and attackers? And if so, should they be?”
Why are you sending me grown-up emails, Millings? Give me shopping lists, puns, nostalgia, Watford.
(Erm, I’d like to see a few more replays but I suspect the two main differences are the level of force and whereabouts on the foot he caught him.)
35 min “At the risk of stating the obvious,” says Peter Oh, “the last few minutes have been exceedingly Ndoyeable to watch!”
34 min A long-range shot from Andrich deflects behind off his club team-mate Xhaka. The corner comes to nothing.
33 min As it stands Switzerland are top of the group, and Germany could be heading for a humdinger against Italy in the last 16.
31 min Ndoye almost gets his second, rifling just wide from the edge of the area! It was a brilliant effort, driven across goal with his left foot, and it rolled agonisingly wide.
Musiala, who is having a bad night, lost the ball in his own half and Switzerland broke. Rieder played a give-and-go on the edge of the area, then pushed the ball into Freuler on the left. He shaped a fine cross to the near post, where Ndoye stretched to volley expertly into the roof of the net. It’s his first goal for Switzerland.
There’s a VAR check for offside but the goal stands.
GOAL! Switzerland 1-0 Germany (Ndoye 28)
Switzerland take the lead with a terrific goal from Dan Ndoye!
25 min Ndoye is booked for Rudigering Rudiger.
