A Kai Havertz penalty and a Jamal Musiala strike gave Germany a 2-0 win over Denmark as the host nation reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals after a dramatic game that was delayed by almost half an hour in the first half due to a violent storm.
Havertz stroked home from the spot early in the second half in Dortmund following a handball by Joachim Andersen, the unlucky Danish defender who had a goal disallowed at the other end only moments earlier.
Musiala, of Bayern Munich, then ran away to stroke in the second goal midway through the second half as Germany’s class told.
At one point it looked as if the game could be abandoned as English referee Michael Oliver stopped play in the 35th minute of the first half and took the teams off the pitch while a violent storm passed overhead.
Torrential rain, hailstones, high winds, thunder and lightning caused a break in play of 25 minutes before the action could resume.
It made for a memorable night, and one that ended with the host nation coming through a stern test of their credentials to keep alive their dream of winning the trophy in Berlin on July 14.
The path is set to get much tougher from here, however, and Julian Nagelsmann’s team will now go to Stuttgart for a quarter-final next Friday against either much-fancied Spain or surprise package Georgia.
Meanwhile Denmark, who famously beat Germany in the 1992 European Championship final, go home without winning a game — they had qualified from their group with three draws.
Nagelsmann made three changes to the Germany side following their last outing, a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
Nico Schlotterbeck replaced the suspended Jonathan Tah in central defence, David Raum came in at left-back, and Leroy Sane was preferred to Florian Wirtz on the right wing.
Schlotterbeck, of Borussia Dortmund, thought he had given Germany the lead inside four minutes when he headed in a corner in front of the enormous South Stand.
He ran off in celebration, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Joshua Kimmich.