Antonio Rüdiger: We were dominant from the beginning. We should have decided the game earlier

Germany finished in the top eight at the domestic championship. The game against Denmark was full of twists and turns and unexpected interruptions, with Havertz and Musiala eventually winning the game. How did key defensive figure Antonio Rüdiger assess the game?

The second semi-final of the seventeenth European Championship in history saw Germany and Denmark face off at Signal Iduna Park. The host of the tournament entered the match as a paper favourite.

This role was confirmed on the pitch. The first goal came in the fourth minute after a Toni Kroos corner kick. Nico Schlotterbeck, a newcomer to the starting line-up, was the best player in the opposition penalty area.

However, the goal was preceded by a foul on one of the defending players and the goal could not be awarded. Germany continued to play an active game, but Denmark survived the initial pressure of their opponents and gradually got into the game.

Ten minutes before the end of the opening period, the game was interrupted by a hailstorm. The break lasted about 20 minutes.

After the change of sides, Joachim Andersen got through after a big scramble, but the video referee found a close offside. The Crystal Palace stopper was also the big loser in the upcoming action when he played his hand in the penalty area.

Kai Havertz converted the penalty, and Jamal Musiala added the insurance goal a quarter of an hour later. He topped the scorers’ table with his third goal of the tournament.

“I think we were the dominant team from the start. The only thing we can be critical about is that we couldn’t decide the game earlier. We didn’t convert many opportunities,” Antonio Rüdiger assessed after the match.

Julian Nagelsmann’s charges can thus enjoy a well-deserved triumph. In the quarter-finals they will face the better of Spain-Georgia, the match is scheduled for Friday 5 July at 18:00 in Stuttgart.

Source: UEFA, EURO 2024