On a night of stoppages, Germany almost stumble, but keep going. That was summed up and sealed by Jamal Musiala’s smooth run and finish after a performance that, until then, had so many rough edges. That goal put a sheen on a match that had literally been so muddied, where Germany were somewhat fortunate to turn it all on two big decisions and a controversial Kai Havertz penalty. Just moments after Joachim Andersen had a goal ruled out for a genuine toenail offside, the ball hit his stretched hand for the call that ultimately led the hosts to a 2-0 win.
They had to work their way through a lot, though, including an extreme thunderstorm that saw the game paused for the players’ safety. It was another echo of the 1974 World Cup here, given how heavy rain besieged that tournament too. It remains to be seen whether it will be the same outcome – a German win. A touch of the gloss has gone from that opening win over Scotland, but they have now done that hard part – and it had become much harder than ever thought. This was Germany’s first tournament knockout win since 2016. It’s still the bare minimum expected. They might just have to go to the maximum for a potential quarter-final against Spain.
