Germany – Denmark: Germany Grind Down The Danes (2-0)
A machine must face a true test to see if its recalibrations have fixed its faults or if it will fall apart at the first sign of stress. The Germans are not completely in the image of its past, but this performance portrayed how the camp can aspire to hold its own during the knockout stages.
Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.
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Fever pitch has gripped Germany as the host nation for the EUROs— a stage on which its plight of the past six years might be banished to their history books. The heavyweights have not reached the quarter-final of a major competition since 2016: a storming start to their campaign with seven goals and two triumphs over Scotland and Hungary have shown their strength. However, the Swiss shackles signaled for constraint of complete faith. How long would firm foundations hold in the new construct?
The Danes dream of a second semi-final in a row at the EUROs. Till now, their trip has not captured the minds of the masses. While a 1-1 stalemate with England exploited the passivity of the favorites for Group C, a pair of disappointing draws with Slovenia and Serbia, in which the squad scored only one more goal, stopped their possession of first position in the standings. On English soil, the siege struggled until extra time in 2021: could the visitors go one step beyond resistance on that occasion?
Kasper Hjulmand handed a starting spot to two new men off the back of a 0-0 struggle with Serbia. Morten Hjulmand suffered a suspension, so Thomas Delaney came in for him in the middle of the park. His partner was Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Joachim Andersen, Jannik Vestergaard, and Andreas Christensen sat in the middle of their back five ahead of Kasper Schmeichel. Rasmus Højlund held onto his position, while Jonas Wind also made way for Andreas Skov Olsen as the second striker.
Julian Nagelsmann has nailed his mast to the same selection since March. However, he could not call on the services of all eleven. Jonathan Tah missed the match due to a suspension. Nico Schlotterbeck slotted in next to Antonio Rüdiger, while David Raum replaced Maximilian Mittelstädt on the left of the back four. However, above all, he took out one of the centerpieces of the offense. Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gündogan got on the field, but Leroy Sané stepped in for Florian Wirtz as the right winger.
Nagelsmann’s altered approach
The Germans cannot escape from the 5-4-1 block. Scotland were too slow and disorganized to disrupt their procession to victory, but their last two tests have brought about more difficulties. The compact Hungarians nullified more danger, while wing attacks asked the first questions of the hosts’ defensive principles. Above all, struggles with the Swiss showed how a highly man-oriented approach could contain their playful, short passing patterns. What would the Danes do to damage their offensive?
The hosts had faith in their typical layout. Kroos kept tipping out to the left of Schlotterbeck while the three tens hovered ahead of Andrich. The Danes defended in a 5-2-3 system, where the three forwards and the double pivot could hardly hope to keep all seven options under lock and key. Kroos caught the attention of Skov Olsen, and occasionally, the back five accepted isolated duels with no spare man along the line. However, the first quarter of an hour belonged to the ball possession of the Germans.
Raum relieved the emphasis on the center of the pitch with his width and dangerous deliveries on the left. Without Wirtz as an option to look for the ball within close quarters, Sané supported with more movement off the shoulder in behind the defense: a lot of attacks flowed through the right flank, and he helped teammates to take up positions between the chains. Set-pieces also signaled a threat in this opening phase. Schlotterbeck stepped up, scoring a header that the officials would chalk for a foul.
3rd minute: offensive sequence from Germany. Sané slipped deep through the channel behind Mæhle. Delaney tracked the winger, while Kimmich cut back away from the wing-back. Eriksen tries to trap the fullback on the outside, but he drags the ball and pushes it inside at the same time that Andrich advances in the blindside of Eriksen. He is deep enough to be able to pick up his head and freely find Raum with a switch to the left: such shifts were frequent in the first fifteen minutes of this match.
Underdogs usurp their hosts
However, the comfort would not last long. Impatience inched into their actions. A compact center and marking of Musiala meant passes through the heart of the block were not always sensible. Attempts at those direct breakthroughs became more common from the 20th minute instead of switches to the far side through Andrich. Schlotterbeck searches repeatedly for these constructive solutions and could be tempted out into putting his foot down since Skov Olsen tried to close down the space for Kroos. The Danes could then launch into offensive transitions as Wind and Højlund split to either side of Eriksen.
Familiar flaws also affected their defensive work. High pressing phases were rarer after the fierce phase of the first quarter of an hour. Denmark depended on their solid platform of three central defenders and the sixes to engage the front four. The hosts had to sit in a more passive structure: the fullbacks flew out far distances to operate as the wing defenders, and their clear assignments opened up the center as red shirts pulled Kroos, Andrich, and the central defenders away from Højlund.
20th minute: offensive sequence from Denmark. Skov Olsen had rotated to the outside, and Raum pushed out of the chain (as if he were a wing-back) to directly engage with the ball carrier. Hence, Schlotterbeck must also fill up the space behind him and as Bah moves back away from the central defender, Kroos continues to commit to the outside. A vertically split 4-4-2 block now pulls even further apart horizontally and Højlund can help switch sides through Eriksen to reach Mæhle.
Doused Danish spirits
The guests’ growth in confidence culminated in the bursting of the bubble at the Westfalenstadion. Andrich barged into Højlund, giving up a free kick in his half of the pitch. Eriksen floated a delivery to the far post, where Vestergaard knocked back the ball to Skov Olsen. Højbjerg arrived on the edge of the penalty area, whipping a second cross into the danger zone. Delaney fended off Havertz, and although he could not crack a clean shot at the goal, Andersen was available to hit the back of the net.
Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand:
— Aadam Patel (@aadamp9) June 29, 2024
‘The game was decided by two VAR decisions. It was offside by one centimetre.
I am so tired of the ridiculous offside rule. We can’t make defenders run with hands behind their back. It’s frustrating and not how football should be.” #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/Z5GCsQoXZh
VAR deemed Delaney had been offside, denying Andersen his first goal for his country. Yet, matters worsened within only a few further moments. Schlotterbeck slung the ball in behind the defense, and Musiala motored onto the invitation. Though Vestergaard turned away a cutback from the goal, Raum ran onto the rebound. Andersen, alert to the threat, attempted to block any access. The ball flicked off his arm, and VAR compounded his pain, awarding a penalty. Havertz dispatched from twelve yards.
Their deep playmaker pulled the same solution out of the bag. Schlotterbeck saw Musiala motioning to run off the back of Andersen and picked out the offensive midfielder with another high ball over the last line. Musiala was now at a much better angle to attack the goal directly, going into a one on one with Kasper Schmeichel. He slotted a strike to the left of the goalkeeper, finding the corner of the net, and doubled the advantage for the Germans, grinning at the sight of a spot in the quarter-finals.
Nagelsmann had also ordered a double substitution. He took off Andrich, putting on Emre Can in his place. He also gave Gündogan a rest, sending out Niclas Füllkrug. The defensive arrangement adapted to the width of the opponents on the ball. Can stuffed the rearguard, dropping between the two central defenders to create a back five, and stuck closely to Højlund as he fell back into the last line. Havertz and Füllkrug formed a first line of engagement in a 5-3-2 formation. The Danish danger flamed out.
59th minute: defensive sequence from Germany. Skov Olsen and Bah again switch on the right wing. Musiala ends up having to chase down the forward from behind and Bah chooses to underlap him. Raum initially tries to angle his body to block the passing lane, but he eventually pushes out while Kroos instructs Schlotterbeck to slide outward at Bah. Andrich does not fully drop back into the defensive chain, but he is in close enough contact to be able to support Rüdiger and Kimmich. Kroos can remain present inside Raum to defend the direct route to goal and Skov Olsen loses possession.
Takeaways
Denmark will wonder what could have been if officials had not opted for certain decisions at the start of the second half. Yet, their displays have not demonstrated the same quality that characterized their run at the last edition of the EUROs: indeed, their group stage record did not contain a single win. Højlund himself could not cash in on his openings to outdo the outstanding work from Manuel Neuer and Rüdiger. All in all, their efforts were not quite enough to tap into tournament dark horse mode.
The Germans go onto the last eight, where Spain or Georgia await. The less mobile qualities of their opponents’ defense dictated a different strategy for success— and Nagelsmann knew the right tools to trust in for this fixture. He has also added to the defensive repertoire as his normal ways of working off the ball are not a cure against all attacks. One cannot forget the fact that the manager has only been on the hot seat for about nine months, so it looks like further progress may hinge on his adaptability.
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