Niclas Fullkrug leads Germany out of danger in Euro 2024
After Ndoye gave the Swiss the lead, an extra-time equalizer maintains Germany’s lead in Group A.
The players from Germany and the majority of the 46,685 spectators who filled Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt celebrated as though Niclas Fullkrug’s header had won the match in the 92nd (90+2) minute. In actuality, Dan Ndoye’s goal from the 28th minute was only negated by an equalizer. one that on Sunday night saw Germany steal a 1-1 draw with Switzerland. One that prevented Germany from suffering their first major event loss to Switzerland since the 1938 FIFA World Cup. One which meant that, in spite of a far from convincing performance, Germany emerged victorious from Group A and would now need a timely reality check before facing the winners of Group C in the Euro 2024 round of 16.
Germany did have the upper hand in possession that evening (62% to 38%), but if the home team was behind their neighbors for sixty-four minutes before Fullkrug’s last-minute goal helped them escape, it was because they were not sharp enough with the ball in the closing third to penetrate a tight Swiss defense.
Ultimately, it took two stand-ins to pull off the Germany rescue act. David Raum, the left back who was brought on in the 61st minute, drove in a cross from the left into the center of the six-yard box with just a few minutes remaining for the referee to sound the final whistle. Bringing on in the 76th minute, Fullkrug—a classic target man—did just that, vaulting over his defender and exerting all of his neck’s strength to smash a forceful header back across Yann Sommer. The seasoned Swiss goalie was left with little choice but to observe the ball’s trajectory as it entered the net.
Julian Nagelsmann, the manager of Germany, would want to consider Fullkrug’s goal in the upcoming games. The 36-year-old strategist started all three games with the same lineup, although there may be some disagreement about whether to start the Borussia Dortmund attacker right away. The 31-year-old Fullkrug has started in just six of Germany’s 19 games, but he has already scored 13 goals.
Germany started the group stage on the front foot once more after defeating Scotland and Hungary in their first two games. In the second minute, Jamal Musiala spun past Remo Freuler and went on a beautiful move before finding Ilkay Gundogan with a brilliantly timed pass. Due to Gundogan’s initial clumsy touch, right-sided center defender Fabian Schar was able to intercept and win a corner.
Germany appeared to break the deadlock in the 17th minute when midfielder Robert Andrich’s attempt from 25 yards out suddenly bounced beyond Sommer’s palms at the near post. This was a disgraceful mistake for any goalie at that caliber, much less one competing in his fifth major tournament as Switzerland’s top player. But Sommer was saved by VAR since the goal was disallowed due to a foul committed by Musiala on Michel Aebischer inside the box in the lead-up.
After just eleven minutes, Switzerland was celebrating a perfectly legitimate goal. This time, Musiala lost possession of the ball in their own half, which gave Fabian Rieder time to swiftly counterattack through the center of the pitch. He found Freuler on the left, then passed the ball to Ndoye before regaining it. After taking a touch, Freuler crossed it to the advancing Ndoye, who slipped his knees to send the ball past Manuel Neuer with a volleyed finish.
Encouraged by the outcome, Ndoye came close to making it 2-0 a few minutes later. After Aebischer’s through ball split Germany’s defense, Ndoye raced past Antonio Rudiger and attempted a left-footed effort from the edge of the 18-yard box. The ball rolled just inches wide of the goal after passing Neuer’s extended left hand.
The second half continued in the same manner. Germany enjoyed more possession of the ball, but there weren’t many obvious opportunities. With the exception of Florian Wirtz’s incredible ball to Musiala with the outside of his right boot in the 50th minute, Germany’s attacking play didn’t exactly make you sit up and take attention.
Switzerland might have ended the match as the minutes ticked down and Germany’s desperate attempts to equalize grew more intense. They appeared to have done so in the 84th minute when Ruben Vargas, a replacement, was placed through on goal by Zeki Amdouni, and Vargas finished flawlessly. Vargas made a mistake, though, when VAR called him offside.
After the game, Gundogan said that the draw felt like a win. The Barcelona midfielder stated, “Scoring late in the game to seal the top spot feels very important for the momentum and energy in the team.” “You could see how happy we were when we scored; it was a unique feeling. However, it was plainly not up to our desired level of play. The Swiss squad was excellent. It was awkward to play against them. We were forced to handle it. We have to be ready for anything. This was a true test, and it might have been something to grow from.
