Germany pursue a late equalizer against Switzerland
Thrill & Euphoria in Germany's Euro Game: The German squad fought hard, tying 1:1 against Switzerland in the third group stage match, scoring the equalizer in stoppage time (90.+2) thanks to Niclas Füllkrug. Without his goal, they might've faced jeers, as the muddy pitch in Frankfurt/Main had too many messy spots.
No Win, Still Top: Despite a 1:1 (0:1) loss against the tactically smart and aggressive Swiss, Germany made it to the Round of 16 as group leaders in the home EURO. Füllkrug's last-minute goal saved the team from jeers - otherwise, there had been too many close calls on the slippery pitch in Frankfurt.
Germany's Next Game is on Saturday (9 PM) in Dortmund against the Group C second-place team, but we'll only know who it is on Monday evening (11 PM), once England (4 points), Slovenia (2), Denmark (2), and Serbia (1) have all played. Germany might face any of these four teams, but Jonathan Tah will be missing due to his second yellow card.
The German team, coached by Julian Nagelsmann, showed determination and fighting spirit, but their display was questioned due to numerous opposition. They managed to counter Dan Ndoye's (28.) goal despite the odds. This was Germany's third victory in a row in this tournament, last achieving it at the EURO 2012. Whether they'll proceed further depends on their ability to find stability again.
Nagelsmann wasn't thinking about potential opponents like Spain in the quarterfinals. "We don't know if all the supposed favorites will make it," Nagelsmann told MagentaTV. His goal was clear: "We want to win the group." He worked hard for this victory against a bothersome opponent on a poor pitch.
Nagelsmann opted against experiments. His starting lineup in the third group match was the same as in the first and second, as announced - the last time this happened was at the 2002 World Cup by Rudi Völler. "It's about rhythm," said the head coach. His first team hadn't played countless games in this formation yet. Nagelsmann had to make changes due to Tah's suspension.
What worried Nagelsmann: the pitch. "You have no footing on the ground," he complained before kickoff on ARD, emphasizing: "It's important no one gets injured." The ball skipped over the surface, causing problems for technical players like Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, or Florian Wirtz. The Swiss plan to defend aggressively and high also caused issues.
However, the ball was soon in the net after a fantastic long shot from Robert Andrich - but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Musiala on Michel Aebischer, which was reviewed via video images (17.). Nagelsmann was furious, as he often is due to the rough play of the Swiss.
There were no objections at Ndoye's goalpost from FC Bologna. He took advantage of the first chance for his team, ignoring the offside call on Antonio Rudiger's extended foot. The initial setback for the German team had an impact. The game was stuck in the midfield. Toni Kroos wasn't his usual calm presence.
This barely changed in the second half. The German team played frantically, hectically, clinging to almost every corner and end. The effort to equalize lacked structure, resembling a desperate chase at times. To make matters worse, there were finishing woes: Musila missed a powerful shot, and Ilkay Gündogan missed the follow-up (50.).
Nagelsmann reacted. He brought on Nico Schlotterbeck (61.), providing him with some experience playing alongside Rudiger for the upcoming round of 16. He replaced Maximilian Mittelstädt with David Raum at the same time. And he brought on Hoffenheim's midfielder Maximilian Beier (65.), who was soon involved in a chance created by Joshua Kimmich in the box (70.). The VAR decided: No goal.
Switzerland began to look at the clock, with little offensive interest remaining from Murat Yakin's team. Leroy Sané came on for Wirtz, Niclas Füllkrug for Musiala - but the best chance initially belonged to Havertz: His header hit the post. Füllkrug then headed it in from Raum's cross in the net.
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Despite Switzerland's aggressive defense and the challenging pitch conditions, Germany managed to fill their scoring jug with an equalizer in the last minute of stoppage time, thanks to Niclas Füllkrug. This draw against Switzerland in the Euro Group stage meant Germany, despite losing to them earlier, still secured their position as group leaders. In their next match against the second-place team in Group C on Saturday, Germany will be missing Jonathan Tah due to suspension.
