Germany's tough road to the European Championship title
Four more steps until the big goal: Germany enters the knockout stage of the EM tonight against Denmark. After that, Spain could be waiting in the quarterfinals and France in the semifinals. Germany is taking the challenging path.
Niclas Füllkrug's goal in stoppage time against Switzerland put Germany on the wrong side of the tournament bracket. Although the header goal secured the group win and Germany has been undefeated for seven games, fans and officials could have wished for a narrow loss against Switzerland. Then, Germany would be playing against title defenders Italy today, but instead, they would have to face France, Portugal, and especially Spain to reach the final. The chances of qualifying for the quarterfinals would be smaller on paper, but the chances of reaching the final would be greater because neither France, Portugal, nor Spain would be lurking in the background.
Football is not a conditional mood, Germany faces Denmark tonight (8 PM, ZDF) in Dortmund. The Danish team, coached by EM semifinalist Kasper Hjulmand, had a mediocre group stage, remaining unbeaten but without a win. With just three draws, Denmark finished second, with a yellow card fewer advantage over Slovakia.
Germany is the favorite against Denmark. If the DFB team can withstand the pressure, they will most likely face Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday. Spain's team, featuring the 16-year-old supertalent Lamine Yamal, has won all their games without conceding a goal. In the round of 16, Spain faces Georgia on Sunday evening. An elimination would be one of the greatest EM sensations of all time.
Curious Rematch in Berlin?
The remaining matches in the round of 16 promise high tension. In the "German" half of the draw, there is a possibility of a rematch of the EM final of 2016 between Portugal and France.
In the other half, a curious revenge might be in store. Less than two weeks after the group game between Austria and the Netherlands, the two countries could face each other again next week on Saturday. Conveniently, the match would once again be held at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The underperforming English team could also face Italy in a rematch of the EM final of 2021.
Possible EM quarterfinals:
- Spain - Germany (in Stuttgart)
- Portugal - France (in Hamburg)
- Netherlands - Austria (in Berlin)
- England - Italy (in Düsseldorf)
Facing France in the Semifinals?
If Germany knocks out the current top team of the EM, they will face France four days later in Munich (Tuesday, 9. July, 9 PM). Here, the Nagelsmann team could face Portugal, France, or Belgium, theoretically, but also Slovakia. In the other semifinal, England could face the Netherlands or Austria, but Italy and even Switzerland could make legitimate claims to reach the final four.
Possible EM semifinals:
- Germany - France (in Munich)
- Austria - England (in Dortmund)
In the final in Berlin (Sunday, 14th July, 9pm) there could be a duel between the host and England or a match between Germany and Italy. Or there could be a neighborhood duel against the Netherlands or Austria. In that case, it would be clear before kick-off that a German trainer would lift the EM cup high. And it would be guaranteed that someone who rejected FC Bayern this summer would be there.
Germany's possible way to the final:
- Round of 16: Germany - Denmark (29th June, 9pm, Dortmund)
- Quarter-finals: Germany - Spain/Georgia (5th July, 6pm, Stuttgart)
- Semi-finals: Germany - France/Portugal/Belgium/Slovenia (9th July, 9pm, Munich)
- Final: Germany - Romania/Netherlands/Austria/Turkey/England/Slovakia/Switzerland/Italy (14th July, 9pm, Berlin)
In the upcoming quarterfinals, Germany might face Spain if they manage to advance past Denmark in their Round of 16 match. If Germany and Spain meet, it would be a reminiscent of their encounter during the European Football Championship 2012, where Spain emerged victorious.
The German national soccer team, known as the DFB team, is eyeing a semifinal match against France should they progress beyond the quarterfinals, as mentioned in the text. If this happens, it would be a notable encounter, considering their previous clash in the 2016 European Championship final, where Portugal emerged victorious.
