Germany’s 2-0 victory over Denmark was both frustrating and exhilarating at times, but in the end, it was a very strong performance for Die Mannschaft.
Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann continues to push the right buttons for Germany with his personnel and his tactics (even if they can leave us all scratching our heads at times).
It was a sensational victory for the German national team, so let’s get right to discussing it! Here are some quick hitters on the match:
- As always, let’s take a look at Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI, which featured several changes:
- As expected, Nagelsmann made several changes, but not the one most expected. The manager shockingly left Niclas Füllkrug on the bench in favor of Kai Havertz, but did start Leroy Sané over Florian Wirtz and David Raum over Maximilian Mittelstädt. In addition, Antonio Rüdiger was cleared and started after an injury scare earlier this week and Nico Schlotterbeck got the nod over Waldemar Anton in filling in for Jonathan Tah.
- Germany was buzzing early with a goal from Nico Schlotterbeck waived off and just a general sense of energy overtaking the pitch from Die Mannschaft. Joshua Kimmich almost scored. Schlotterbeck almost had another goal a few minutes later on a header that led to a corner.
- The aggressive attacking continued as Havertz nearly scored in the 11th minute. Germany was relentless with its attack, but several good chances all came up empty, which some would say was a bad omen.
- It is hard to state just how dominant Germany was early. It just felt like Denmark was either going to break and let in a slew of goals or stifle the Germans for the entirety of the match.
- As Germany started to come back down to Earth, the match was delayed for lightning. An interesting part of the delay was seeing how Thomas Müller was interacting — and coaching — his teammates, which was caught on the United States feed.
- Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg nabbed some video of Müller as well:
- How bad was the weather? Well…
- Germany came out of the weather break with the same level of energy it had at the start of the match, but still could not find a way to finish as chances from Havertz and Schlotterbeck went begging.
- At this stage, it did start to become a bit concerning.
- In the 42nd minute Schlotterbeck barely averted disaster when he mishandled the ball in front of the net, which Rasmus Højlund nearly deposited into the net. Coming into the match, Schlotterbeck’s propensity for unnecessary — and costly — mistakes was a concern. That little play made some fans get very nervous.
- In the 45th minute, a turnover by Musiala led to a stunning breakout for Denmark, which led to Manuel Neuer need to bail out Germany with a terrific save on Højlund. If Thomas Delaney’s pass was more to Højlund’s feet, Denmark would have went into the locker room holding a one goal lead.
- The teams entered halftime knotted at 0-0, but Germany was the more dominant side in just about every statistical category. Sometimes that offers hope and sometimes that is a harbinger of not being able to break through for a goal.
- In the 48th minute, Denmark nearly took advantage of Germany’s attacking inefficiency as Joachim Andersen emerged from a scrum in front of the net to hit a left-footed shot that Neuer had no chance on. The Danes had persevered, seemingly taken the lead, and Germany could only scratch its head and wonder how things fell apart. Luckily, the goal was ruled offside (which was ridiculous):
- Germany dodged a major bullet there, but the inability of Nagelsmann’s team to take advantage of its chances felt like it could become an issue.
- Just minutes later, though, Germany caught as a massive break as a handball call on Denmark led to a penalty kick for Havertz in the 53rd minute, who barely eluded Kasper Schmeichel for a 1-0 advantage. It should be noted that David Raum made the play that resulted in the handball call for the Germans.
- In the 57th minute, Havertz gave us all the best and worst of him as a striker. The Arsenal FC man took a sublime touch forward, exploded to split defenders, and bore down on Schmeichel for a breakaway…only to chip his shot wide of the net. It was both scintillating and disappointing!
- In the 64th minute, Havertz set up Sané perfectly, but the Bayern Munich winger pulled his attempt wide. For as dominant as Germany was in the match, the attack was very wasteful.
- Jamal Musiala, however, would finally give Germany the 2-0 edge in the 68th minute after making a run in behind the Denmark backline. It was a terrific ball from Schlotterbeck and a great finish from the Bayern Munich star.
- For Schlotterbeck — aside of that one aforementioned gaffe — it was a heck of a performance.
- If you want to nitpick, İlkay Gündoğan and Sané were not great. It would not be shocking to see Wirtz back in the lineup for the next match (at either spot, even if it seems doubtful that Nagelsmann would bench his captain), though Nagelsmann might want to roll with the same XI one more time.
- Overall, Germany was thoroughly dominant. Was it perfect? Hell no! Germany blew six-to-seven golden opportunities, had a couple of breakdowns defensively, and gave Denmark some life after halftime, but the energy, attitude, and relentless style was able to overcome all of that. With the exception of a few individual performances, there was virtually nothing to complain about. You want aggression? You want fight? You want excitement? Right now, the German national team is giving you all of that.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look and/or a listen:
Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal FC, and FC Barcelona are all vying for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana:
Elsewhere, PSG have joined Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the race to sign Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.
In the middle of the offseason, things should be slowing down, but for Bayern Munich and German national team fans, it was been, well, pretty darn wild.
The Bavarians are in the middle of what figures to be a crazy transfer period, while Germany has already looked better in a tourney than it has at any point since that last run under Joachim Löw at EURO 2020 (played in 2021) or maybe the first 10 games under Hansi Flick:
Now, though, it’s a new day for both Bayern Munich and Germany:
- Chuck is back in the saddle! Find out what he has been up to and why he has been off the airwaves for a spell.
- Germany put itself in a good position to consider this tourney run a success.
- It is still early, but Chuck does not like the direction of Bayern Munich’s New World Order in the front office.
- Are three center-backs really up for sale?
- Fans who wanted change are going to get exactly what they were asking for.
- Selling Kingsley Coman might not be easy.
- Joshua Kimmich seems likely to leave this summer (or maybe in 2025), while Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry could just get frozen out until they want to leave.
Liverpool FC is keeping a close eye on what happens between Joshua Kimmich and Bayern Munich. Depending on which rumors you believe, the relationship between the two parties might be strained and Liverpool could be ready to offer Kimmich a chance to start over in England:
Liverpool’s transfer window has got off to a slow start with signings having not yet been made by new manager Arne Slot.
Deals are likely to be completed a lot later than normal this year due to both Euro 2024 and Copa America but that doesn’t mean Slot and his team won’t be working hard to secure their targets behind the scenes. One man who could find himself on a few clubs’ radars this summer is Bayern Munich midfielder-turned-right-back Joshua Kimmich.
The German has gained a reputation for his impressive displays in Bavaria but his relationship at the club is breaking down. Sport Bild understands that the two parties are now at a stage where an exit in either 2024 or 2025 is inevitable.
Munich reportedly want a figure of £33m for their player this summer to get him off the books but what Bayern do not seem to realise is that Liverpool are the ones who hold the cards. If they are not in a position where they want to keep the midfielder, the Reds just need to hold their nerve.
The Bundesliga giants will not be wanting to risk Kimmich leaving the Allianz Arena for free in the summer so will likely be at the mercy of what clubs are looking to offer. Barcelona are thought to be keen on his services but considering their financial situation, the Reds will be confident they could outbid them in a race for his signature.
One issue for Liverpool will be that Kimmich is not thought to be represented by an agent so any negotiations will have to be made directly with him. While he is at Euro 2024, this could be difficult so the Reds must use their time wisely between now and Germany’s exit to plan a move which could see them land a dream transfer for Slot’s squad.
As expected, VfB Stuttgart exercised its option to buy Deniz Undav:
⚪️ Exclusive | VfB Stuttgart have triggered the option to buy for Deniz #Undav!
… around €20m!
Personal terms between @VfB and Undav have been clarified.
Now it’s up to Brighton. If they exercise the buy-back option, then free negotiations will take place between the… pic.twitter.com/RydOygrafG
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 29, 2024
⚪️ Exclusive | VfB Stuttgart have triggered the option to buy for Deniz #Undav!
… around €20m!
Personal terms between @VfB and Undav have been clarified.
Now it’s up to Brighton. If they exercise the buy-back option, then free negotiations will take place between the clubs. Undav‘s decision is clear as he doesn’t want to return to Brighton.
Borussia Dortmund seems like it has won a battle over Bayern Munich for Italian striker phenom Samuele Inacio:
⚫️ Borussia Dortmund is close to sign super talent Samuele #Inacio – confirmed ✔️
The 16 y/o striker is currently under contract at Atalanta Bergamo U17. But he will join #BVB in summer. It’s decided as also via @DiMarzio.
Many top clubs wanted him. FC Bayern were also… pic.twitter.com/rKBGGAhs8o
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 29, 2024
Former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann did not make any changes going into the final game of the EURO 2024 group stage against Switzerland. Germany struggled to a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, Bayern seems to be set to sign Michael Olise while Joshua Kimmich might leave. We talk about these topics and the following in this podcast:
- A closer look at the performances of several players for Germany today including Joshua Kimmich and Jonathan Tah
- A closer look at the performance of the back four
- Cyler and Samrin struggle to really rate Antonio Rüdiger’s performance
- Should Niklas Füllkrug start ahead of Kai Havertz?
- Will Julian Nagelsmann change the setup going into the Round of 16?
- Rating Switzerland’s performance
- Cyler and Samrin have differing opinions on Michael Olise and what he would add to Bayern
- Reflections on a possible Joshua Kimmich departure from Bayern
VfB Stuttgart is busy these days.
The club has Niclas Füllkrug and Ermedin Demirović on its radar to backfill the striker position, which is expected to be formally vacated by Serhou Guirassy very soon. Guirassy has been very closely linked to Borussia Dortmund:
⚪️ As revealed in our show: Niclas Füllkrug remains the dream target for @VfB but Stuttgart is also pushing for Ermedin #Demirovic now!
▫️The 26 y/o is high on the list. First concrete talks took place
▫️Demirovic, very open to join #VfB but at this stage there are no… pic.twitter.com/iRrHlDzbkU
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 29, 2024
⚪️ As revealed in our show: Niclas Füllkrug remains the dream target for
@VfB but Stuttgart is also pushing for Ermedin #Demirovic now!
▫️The 26 y/o is high on the list. First concrete talks took place
▫️Demirovic, very open to join #VfB but at this stage there are no total agreements. Neither with the player nor with FC Augsburg. FCA is said to be asking for up to €20-25m now.
Stuttgart considering more options. Not only Füllkrug and Demirovic.
Plettenberg added more information on Demirović:
VfB Stuttgart and FC Augsburg still in direct touch about a transfer of Ermedin #Demirovic!
The 26 y/o striker, very open to join @VfB as Sebastian Hoeneß wants him.
But at this stage, there is still no formal bid from Stuttgart yet!
Clear position from Augsburg: They… pic.twitter.com/Wl7ifVv9N7
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 29, 2024
VfB Stuttgart and FC Augsburg still in direct touch about a transfer of Ermedin #Demirovic!
The 26 y/o striker, very open to join
@VfB as Sebastian Hoeneß wants him.
But at this stage, there is still no formal bid from Stuttgart yet!
Clear position from Augsburg: They won’t let him go for €15-20m. FCA want more. However, Stuttgart optimistic to get the deal done and sealed with Demirovic in the next days. Negotiations ongoing.
Manchester City tried to swipe Michael Olise from Bayern Munich, but it was to no avail:
Manchester City failed with a late bid to hijack Bayern Munich’s move for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise.
Former Bayern Munich attacker Philippe Coutinho is officially in the twilight of his career and is expected to play for Vasco da Gama:
⚫️⚪️ Philippe Coutinho has agreed on terms to return to Vasco da Gama, the contract is almost ready.
Final detail needed: contract termination with Aston Villa, as @geglobo reported.
Villa are prepared to give Coutinho the green light to leave soon. pic.twitter.com/qjzaoonJ0M
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 29, 2024