A Kai Havertz penalty and a Jamal Musiala strike secured Germany‘s 2-0 victory over Denmark, propelling the host nation into the Euro 2024 quarter-finals after a dramatic game at Signal Iduna Park, which was delayed for nearly half an hour due to a violent storm.
On the eve of the Saturday night encounter, meteorologists had warned that severe weather conditions in the Ruhr region could disrupt proceedings. Referee Michael Oliver was forced to suspend play for 20 minutes during the first half as a precaution.
Havertz converted a penalty early in the second half in Dortmund following a handball by Joachim Andersen, the unfortunate Danish defender who had a goal disallowed at the other end only moments earlier. Bayern Munich star boy Musiala then scored Germany’s second goal midway through the second half, showcasing the team’s class.
At one point, it seemed the game might be abandoned as English referee Michael Oliver stopped play in the 35th minute and took the teams off the pitch while a violent storm passed overhead. Torrential rain, hailstones, high winds, thunder, and lightning caused a 25-minute break in play before the action could resume.
It made for a memorable night, ending with the host nation passing a stern test of their credentials, keeping alive their dream of winning the Euro 2024 trophy in Berlin on July 14. The path ahead is set to get much tougher, however, as Julian Nagelsmann’s team will now head to Stuttgart for a quarterfinal next Friday against either much-fancied Spain or surprise package Georgia.
Meanwhile, Denmark, who famously beat Germany in the 1992 Euro final, were eliminated without winning a game, having qualified from their group with three draws.
Nagelsmann made three changes to Germany starting eleven following their last outing, a 1-1 draw with Switzerland. Nico Schlotterbeck replaced the suspended Jonathan Tah in central defense, David Raum came in at left-back, and Leroy Sane was preferred to Florian Wirtz on the right wing.
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