Switzerland 1-1 Germany: Initial reactions and observations (2024)

Initial reactions and observations

• Germany just about scraped by there. Julian Nagelsmann was on the verge of his entire project being called a false dawn. Thankfully, Niclas Füllkrug saved the Germans some blushes after coming on. Nagelsmann’s distaste for true strikers — a quality he also showed at Bayern Munich — nearly came back to haunt him.
• Speaking of strikers, why is Kai Havertz playing as one? He even lasted the entire ninety minutes. What has he done to earn this level of trust from German national team coaches?
• Toni Kroos has steadily been found out over the course of the tournament, and it’s the key reason why Germany struggled so hard against Switzerland on this final group stage game. With Switzerland neutralizing the Real Madrid veteran, the Germans were deprived of Kroos’ forward passing and tempo control. As a result, their AM-heavy attacking quartet struggled to get into the game. Florian Wirtz, in particular, was completely invisible.
• Jonathan Tah made a stupid foul to see himself miss the next game. Still, these yellow card rules are very harsh for a major tournament like the Euros.
• The referee had a total nightmare — Germany had two clear penalties denied, and VAR didn’t even take a look. That’s leaving aside the general rough play the Swiss were allowed to get away with. Fans will be hoping Orsato doesn’t officiate another German game in this tournament — for a usually-competent referee, he was a mess.

Missed the Germany-Switzerland match, or can’t get enough of the action? Check out our post-game podcast! Samrin and Cyler break down the reasons for Germany’s struggles, what to make of the result, and check in on the latest Bayern Munich transfers news. Listen here below or on Spotify!

Thank you and as always, we appreciate your support!

Full time: Switzerland 1-1 Germany.

90’ + 2’ — GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Füllkrug makes it 1-1! That’s what a striker can do!

75’ — Subs: Füllkrug and Sané are on for Musiala and Wirtz.

65’ — Subs: Andrich subbed for Beier.

61’ — Subs: Tah and Mittelstädt come off for Schlotterbeck and Raum.

45’ — The second half is underway!

Halftime: Germany trail Switzerland 1-0.

38’ — Yellow card to Jonathan Tah. Who could have foreseen this? The defender will miss the next game, which will be a knockout.

29’ — Goal. Ndoye makes it 1-0 to the Swiss. Seemed offside in the buildup but VAR did not intervene so it was probably just a trick of the camera.

18’ — Andrich apparently made it 1-0 from outside the box, but VAR found a foul by Musiala in the buildup.

Kickoff: We’re underway!

One hour until kickoff: We have lineups! Nagelsmann stayed true to his word and picked the exact same starting XI. A few of those players risk getting a suspension due to yellow cards. Will the coach regret not making a few changes?

With qualification to the next round already secured, Germany look to close out the group in first spot. Julian Nagelsmann says he will not rotate for this game, so expect the same lineup as usual — a risk given some key players could miss the knockouts if they get a single yellow card.

Still, Nagelsmann seems to know what he’s doing. Germany look better than they’ve looked in years — arguably since the 2014 World Cup. Let him cook.

While you’re waiting for the game, why not check out our preview podcast? Listen to it below or on Spotify.

Match Info

Location: Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany

Time: 9:00 pm local time, 3:00 pm EST

TV/streaming: Find Your Country

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