Keeper Neuer makes a mistake
Dream goal saves shaky DFB team’s European Championship dress rehearsal
07.06.2024, 22:37
For a long time it didn’t look like the German national football team would be having a successful dress rehearsal for the European Championship. The erratic and vulnerable DFB team struggled against Greece, showing unusual weaknesses. But then Pascal Groß came on and scored a fantastic goal to secure a 2-1 victory.
Morale is good: With their indomitable will to win and thanks to Pascal Groß, the German national football team has made their dress rehearsal for the European Championship just as successful. The professional from Brighton & Hove Albion secured a flattering 2:1 (0:1) win for Julian Nagelsmann’s team against Greece after a horrific first half, but one week before the start of the European Championship, the national coach suddenly has a goalkeeper discussion about Manuel Neuer on his hands.
The long-time captain made a mistake in Mönchengladbach, as he had recently done at the club. Nagelsmann’s finals team, with the returnees Antonio Rüdiger and Toni Kroos, was supposed to warm up for opening opponents Scotland and further fuel the enthusiasm. But after Neuer’s mistake and the 0:1 by Giorgos Masouras (34th minute), things only got a little better with the substitutions in the second half. Kai Havertz (56th minute) equalized and at least took the edge off the nine-man debate. Substitute Benjamin Henrichs hit the crossbar (83rd minute), before Groß finally achieved the longed-for success with his first international goal.
“The squad is set, the team too”
Shortly before kick-off, Nagelsmann announced that goalkeeper Alexander Nübel would be dropped from the European Championships: Due to Leroy Sané’s persistent pubic bone injury, he had had to “change his plans” and decided to take “one more field player” instead of a fourth keeper. “The squad is set, and so is the team,” said the national coach, and his starting eleven was anything but a surprise.
He gave his “framework” a clear order: a “better penalty area occupation” than in the 0-0 draw against Ukraine on Monday. But after a bad pass from Florian Wirtz, things got heated in the German penalty area, and Neuer made a strong save against Düsseldorf’s Christos Tzolis (6th minute). Despite Kroos’ return, the passing was lacking. Nagelsmann stomped angrily through his coaching zone and tried desperately to organize the game. The defense was vulnerable, and the attack lacked pace against the massive 4-4-2 of the number 50 in the world rankings.
First whistles after 30 minutes
After just under half an hour, the first whistles could be heard and Nagelsmann was complaining. Before the 0-1, the pressing Greeks forced Jonathan Tah to lose the ball, Rüdiger deflected Tzolis’ shot, Neuer let it bounce off his chest – Masouras finished with ice-cold precision. “A big mistake,” said RTL expert Lothar Matthäus. The deficit had the effect of waking us up. After a Kroos free kick, Tah narrowly missed the opponent’s goal with his head (40th minute), and Havertz was offside when the equalizer was supposed to have been achieved after the first successful combination (43rd minute). “Greek wine” was played during the break, and Nagelsmann would probably have liked to have gone to the pub that Udo Jürgens sang about.
Instead, he intervened on the pitch, bringing on Sané, whose three-game suspension ended, and David Raum at the restart – both of whom had recently been injured. Joshua Kimmich prevented Tzolis from making it 0-2 (46th minute), and the visitors had further opportunities. The equalizer was the product of a quick combination involving Robert Andrich, captain İlkay Gündoğan and Sané, with Havertz scoring from a turn.
Neuer had to save again against Tzolis (63′) before Nagelsmann brought on additional substitutes such as Dortmund’s Niclas Füllkrug and Nico Schlotterbeck. The final phase was like an open exchange of blows with furious German attacks and Greek counterattacks. Substitute Benjamin Henrichs hit the crossbar in the 83rd minute. Then Groß scored.