With a crushing 2-0 defeat to England at Wembley Stadium in the round of 16, where Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane delivered two late blows, any hope that Germany had of winning Euro 2020 had evaporated into thin air.
It’s not the swansong that Germany’s long-standing head coach Joachim Löw would have hoped for prior to the tournament. However, his side looked far from their best for the most part of the campaign, and were never really amongst the favourites in the odds to win the Euros.
So, as we gear up for the quarter-finals, let’s take a quick look back at Germany’s campaign. Read on to find out more!
Matchday 1 – Defeat to France
With Germany paired in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside World Champions France and defending European Champions Portugal, progression to the last 16 was never going to be a walk in the park for Löw’s side, who haven’t been at their best for a few years now. And, it was nightmare start for the Germans on home soil with Mats Hummels turning a French cross into his own goal. In the end, that’s all that separated the two sides with Didier Deschamps’ men happy to sit back and hit on the counter. With some blistering attacks from Kylian Mbappé and co, Germany could perhaps count their blessings it was only 1-0.
Matchday 2 – Victory over Portugal
Germany looked to come to life in their second Group F match, beating Portugal 4-2 in what will likely go down as one of the best matches of Euro 2020. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 15th minute before Germany turned the tie on its head with two quick-fire own goals from Rúben Dias and Raphaël Guerreiro. From there, momentum seemed to sway in Germany’s favour and Kai Havertz and Robin Gosens extended their side’s lead to 4-1. Diogo Jota grabbed one back for Portugal, but it proved nothing more than a consolation.
Matchday 3 – Draw with Hungary
Before the game against Hungary, you’d image that Löw would be rather disappointed with a draw. However, with Germany a goal down and around five minutes away from heading for an early exit, they were perhaps left counting their blessings when Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka netted a late equaliser to make it 2-2. Ádám Szalai had given Hungary an early lead, but when Havertz levelled the scoring in the 66th minute, a Germany victory looked like the likeliest outcome. Not for long, however, with András Schäfer firing Hungary back into the lead just two minutes later. Luckily, Goretzka was on hand to save the day.
Round of 16 – Defeat to England
Despite a rocky time of it in the groups, the German camp seemed rather comfortable ahead of their round of 16 clash with England at Wembley, and they definitely started the better of the two sides. Chelsea forwards Havertz and Timo Werner had great chances matched by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, and Sterling made them pay for their missed opportunities when he converted from close range. Thomas Müller then missed the perfect chance to get Germany back on level terms, firing wide of the post when one-on-one with Pickford. Kane made it 2-0 shortly after.
Germany’s Player of the Tournament – Kai Havertz
It was a close call between Gosens and Havertz for Germany’s Player of the Tournament. However, with two goals, the Chelsea midfielder was the Germans’ top scorer and he looked their main threat in the game against England, setting up chances for Werner and Müller, whilst also coming close with an effort of his own.
What’s next for Germany?
It’s been public knowledge for some time now that former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick will replace Löw as Germany’s head coach and the future could be bright if the 56-year-old can mastermind a rebuilding process, similar to the job Roberto Mancini has done with Italy. With the World Cup just over a year away, he has some time to settle in to his new role. Whether or not he can make Germany contenders remains to be seen.
