The German national team already felt the ghosts of the past from the failures in the last tournaments coming back to haunt them, when they stood a step away from a loss to Switzerland that would have devoured the cards and sent the host of the Euros to the hard side of the knockout games draw. However, the substitute Niklas Polkrug appeared in the money time, scored with a shot in the 92nd minute and set a dramatic 1:1 in Frankfurt, which gave Mannschaft the first place in Group A and left the Swiss disappointed.
Dan Andoui put Switzerland ahead in the 28th minute, contrary to the flow of the game that started under German control, when even a goal by Robert Andrich was disallowed following a foul in the attack that led to it. Before tonight, Murat Yakin’s team had one loss in the last 16 games in which they scored first in a major tournament (against Turkey in the group stage of Euro 2008, when they lost 2:1 in extra time), and were undefeated in the last six Euro games in which they found the net before her rival This time it did not last, and Switzerland will be on track to meet – as long as it continues to go through stages – with Italy or Croatia in the round of 16, with England in the quarter and with France or Belgium in the half, provided there are no surprises.
Germany pressed, but failed to produce bright enough football to equalise, until the substitutes brought on the genius Julian Nagelsmann: David Raum headed home Polkrug, who scored his 13th goal in 19 appearances for the national team. The hosts of the tournament will meet the third runner-up in Dortmund this Saturday (10:00 p.m., Sport1). The one who will not be able to play is Yonatan Ta, the defender who received a second yellow card in the tournament.
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