Germany 2-0 Denmark: Die Mannschaft weather the storm to continue summer fairytale | OneFootball

Euro 2024 hosts, Germany, will continue their summer fairytale after securing a quarter-final spot at the expense of Denmark in Dortmund this evening.

In a briefly suspended game due to adverse weather, Julian Nagelsmann’s men capitalised on their fortune, winning 2-0 in a rematch of the 1992 final.

Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala found the back of the net again, but the outcome could have been different.

Nico Schlotterbeck, in for the suspended Jonathan Tah, had an early goal ruled out from a Toni Kroos corner after Joshua Kimmich blocked Andreas Skov Olsen, who had been marking the Borussia Dortmund defender.

It was roles reversed soon after the game resumed after halftime when Joachim Andersen thought he had scored his first international goal for Denmark. However, the video assistant referee ruled it out as the Crystal Palace defender was offside.

When it rains, it pours. Mere seconds later, in Denmark’s penalty box, Andersen’s arm was out and blocked David Raum’s cross. VAR gave a penalty, and Havertz duly converted. That was the Arsenal man’s fourth goal at the Euros — only Jürgen Klinsmann and Mario Gomez have scored more goals for Germany in the competition (both with five goals).

Denmark had their opportunities, with Manuel Neuer (as he’s often done before) coming out big and making key saves. At the other end, a far more clinical German team would have threatened a similar scoreline to Matchday One, and with their lead a slender one-goal margin, Musiala netted a third goal for Euro 2024, moving him level with Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze in the race for this summer’s Golden Boot with three strikes.

An impressive feat to highlight the bright future of Germany’s attack: Musiala is the first German player to score three or more goals in a single European Championship since Mario Gómez (who scored three at Euro 2012). Additionally, he is the youngest Die Mannschaft international to score in the competition’s knockout rounds at 21 years and 124 days, surpassing Dieter Müller’s record of 22 years and 77 days set in 1976.

It’s also worth noting that only England’s Wayne Rooney (18 years and 241 days) has reached three European Championship finals goals at a younger age. At the same time, Musiala has scored more goals in this competition in four games than across his first 29 appearances for the national team (two).

But most importantly, this felt like a watershed moment. Nagelsmann inherited a beaten-up Germany side in a full-scale identity crisis; he’s effectively turned the good ship around, and this felt like a significant validation as the four-time world champions have reached the quarter-finals of a major competition for the first time since doing so at Euro 2016, reaching the semi-finals of that edition.