Striker Niclas Füllkrug scored a stoppage time equaliser as hosts Germany rescued some extent after a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Sunday to seal prime spot in Group A and keep their momentum going into the spherical of 16 of Euro 2024.
Swiss ahead Dan Ndoye had threatened to spoil the occasion with a primary half opener, however Germany, who had already sealed a round-of-16 place earlier than kickoff, at the moment are on a seven-game unbeaten run stretching again to November and saved plugging away till the equaliser finally got here by way of Fullkrug’s highly effective header.
The house aspect had a objective disallowed and a number of other penalty appeals rejected by Italian referee Daniele Orsato, and it a irritating night time earlier than Fullkrug completed one in every of their 18 makes an attempt at objective in a feverish environment in Frankfurt.
It denied the Swiss what would have been a second win over Germany in 22 aggressive matches courting again to 1959, however their passage by way of to the spherical of 16 can be safe.
Germany prime the pool with seven factors from their three video games, two forward of Switzerland, whereas Hungary (three factors) should wait to see if they’ll advance as top-of-the-line third-placed groups following a 1-0 win over eradicated Scotland, who’re eradicated.
“After all, we’d have favored to win the sport and to play nice soccer,” Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan stated. “However I feel you additionally want video games like that in a event. And that may also be an actual power for the subsequent video games, hopefully.”
Kai Havertz’s early header from a nook was saved by the Swiss keeper after which a shout for a penalty when he was bundled over the field was dismissed on a irritating night for him which will draw consideration to his effectiveness within the workforce.
Germany thought they’d the lead on 17 minutes when Robert Andrich’s shot from 30 yards one way or the other beat Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer at his close to submit however the latter’s blushes had been spared when the objective was dominated out for a foul by Jamal Musiala.
As an alternative it was the Swiss who scored simply earlier than the half-hour mark. Musiala was bundled off the ball in midfield and when Remo Freuler was discovered on the left-hand aspect of the field, his low cross was was the roof of the web by Ndoye.
Ilkay Gündogan mishit a shot from the sting of the field when well-placed early within the second interval, and Toni Kroos drilled the ball broad from distance as Germany pushed for the equaliser.
They created quite a few possibilities as they camped within the Swiss half, however after Havertz had wasted a number of, Fullkrug rose highest to move in David Raum’s cross within the 92nd minute and protect their unbeaten begin to their dwelling championship.
“I feel while you see the Germans celebrating, we may be happy with ourselves,” Swiss captain Granit Xhaka informed SRF. “It is not simple towards a workforce like that. However, the late equaliser hurts.
“Everybody fought for one another and ran for one another. We now have to push ourselves to the restrict. Then we are able to beat anybody. We now have taken step one and at the moment are wanting ahead to the spherical of 16.”
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann picked the identical beginning XI for the third recreation in a row, however will likely be pressured into not less than one change for the last-16 after Jonathan Tah picked up a second yellow card of the group phases and will likely be suspended.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann picked the identical beginning XI for the third recreation in a row, however will likely be pressured into not less than one change for the last-16 after Jonathan Tah picked up a second yellow card of the group phases and will likely be suspended.
Whether or not Havertz did sufficient to maintain his beginning place remans to be seen, with Germany wanting extra threatening when Fuellkrug got here on to attain his thirteenth worldwide objective in 19 caps, solely six of which he has began.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann picked the identical beginning XI for the third recreation in a row, however will likely be pressured into not less than one change for the last-16 after Jonathan Tah picked up a second yellow card of the group phases and will likely be suspended.
Whether or not Havertz did sufficient to maintain his beginning place remans to be seen, with Germany wanting extra threatening when Fuellkrug got here on to attain his thirteenth worldwide objective in 19 caps, solely six of which he has began.
“Ultimately I feel the purpose is nicely deserved. We risked lots on this part of the sport, we may have conceded a second objective but it surely was a superb match,” Nagelsmann stated after the match. “I feel it was nicely deserved that we got here again. If we’d have scored the primary objective within the seventeenth minute (Robert Andrich’s disallowed effort) I feel it will have been troublesome for Switzerland.”
Whether or not Havertz did sufficient to maintain his beginning place remans to be seen, with Germany wanting extra threatening when Fullkrug got here on to attain his thirteenth worldwide objective in 19 caps, solely six of which he has began.
Germany will face the second-place workforce in Group C, with England, Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia all nonetheless within the combine, in Dortmund on Saturday. Switzerland will play the second-place workforce in Group B on the identical day in Berlin, with Italy, Albania and Croatia their potential opponents.
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