- Men's hockey final - Against the Netherlands for gold
The German men's hockey team's quest for Olympic gold is nearing completion after reaching the final in Paris. In the semi-final, the team coached by André Henning defeated India 3:2 (2:1) and will face European champions Netherlands in the final on Thursday (19:00 CEST). Twelve years after their last triumph in London, winning the Olympic title was the German team's primary objective from the start. They have already secured a silver medal.
In Tokyo three years ago, the German team failed to win a medal and suffered a particularly bitter defeat against India in the bronze medal match after leading for a time. In France, the Germans avenged that loss thanks to goals from Gonzalo Peillat (18th minute), Christopher Rühr (27th, penalty), and Marco Miltkau (54th). Harmanpreet Singh (7th) and Sukhjeet Singh (36th) scored for India.
Weak start for the German team
The German defense was under pressure from the start and had to defend many penalty corners in the Stade Yves-du-Manoir. India's captain Harmanpreet Singh put several dangerous shots on goal early on. On the fifth attempt, goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg had no chance against a deflected ball and had to concede the first goal. In the first quarter, the Germans had only 34% possession and struggled to create chances due to individual errors.
In the group stage, Germany topped their group with four wins from five games and then beat Argentina 3:2 in a tense quarter-final. Against eight-time Olympic champions India, Peillat equalized with a powerful shot from a penalty corner. Rühr then converted a penalty. At this point, the narrow lead was somewhat flattering.
The German lead was immediately threatened at the start of the second half. India created pressure through penalty corners again, with Sukhjeet Singh equalizing in one of those situations. After that, the Asians, who had beaten Britain in the quarter-finals despite being a man down for a long time, retreated deep into their own half. Justus Weigand missed the best chance to score the third goal - until Miltkau finally succeeded just before the end.
Despite India's strong start in France, the German team managed to recover and avenge their previous loss against them during the 2016 Olympics in Tokyo. In contrast to their weak start in this tournament, France served as a turning point for the Germans, who went on to secure a place in the final against the Netherlands.
