First the Biblical rain, then the judgements, and it would be fair to say that not all agreed with those made by an English team of officials in charge of the most dramatic game yet of the European championship.
Germany, the hosts, are through to the quarter-finals although not before first the automated offside and then the VAR Stuart Attwell intervened in the space of six minutes to rewrite the course of this tie. The offside software would disallow Joachim Andersen’s 48th minute goal for an offside that turned out to be no more than the toe of Andersen’s team-mate Thomas Delaney poking through the ghostly wall of the animated line.
Then the Crystal Palace defender would be penalised for the weakest of handballs. David Raum’s cross brushed his hand and prompted a VAR review recommendation from Attwell for Michael Oliver that ended in a penalty. That disallowed goal, and then the penalty converted by Kai Havertz gave Germany a lead they never let slip. By the time the game finished, around 11.20pm local time, the skies over Dortmund had unleashed a storm that required a break in play in the first half.
Storm in Dortmund
A huge storm caused the match to be suspended for a while in the first half CREDIT: Getty Images/Alexander Hassenstein
That Havertz penalty finally beat Kasper Schmeichel – who had one of the best games of his august career in the first half. Later the Danish goalkeeper would hesitate coming off his line as Jamal Musiala, the great talent of the German team chased a ball that seemed to slow down on the soaked surface. Musiala hesitated, then accelerated, took the ball into his stride and stroked a right foot shot past Schmeichel for the second goal.
That was it for Denmark, who threw it all at Germany in the end for what was a great ragged finale to a great tournament knockout game. But there was a period when it felt very much in the balance as to whether this tie might even be completed on the night.
A mighty thunderstorm burst over the home of Borussia Dortmund with 35 minutes of the first half played, and with lightning in the sky and thunder too, Oliver was told to bring the players off. In the interim the stadium roof funnelled great rivulets of water down from its corners. It is not just Old Trafford where the guttering can be overwhelmed. Eventually the rain stopped, the lightning strikes passed and Oliver brought them back out.
Germany had dominated the first 20 minutes, but Denmark had just about stayed in the game. Then on the counter-attack they had looked dangerous – not least a move just before half-time when they cut through Germany with four precise passes and Rasmus Hojlund just failed to apply the finish. That would be the story of his night. The big moments just eluded Denmark although they will surely feel that it was taken from them by Attwell’s decision to tell Oliver to review that penalty.
Germany had scored in the first four minutes. Then there was little argument that the VAR review was right to pick out Joshua Kimmich’s block on the Danish defender tracking Nico Schlotterbeck. Denmark set up with five at the back out of possession and they looked solid.
Julian Nagelsmann had picked Leroy Sane ahead of Florian Wirtz, which meant his attacking three behind Havertz had more balance. Musiala played off the left, Sane off the right and Gundogan as the No 10. Raum at left-back gave them added bite. In the first 20 minutes they could have scored three. Nagelsmann’s most experienced defender Antonio Rudiger seems to be coming into form too. He was a dominant presence again for the team.
When Anderson finished a loose ball from a corner three minutes after half-time, it looked close on the offside but in fact the margin would be tiny. The Delaney offside prompted an outcry, although nothing compared to what would follow.
That was the handball, a cross whipped in from Raum on the left and struck in close proximity to Anderson. His hand was judged to be out from his body and so the VAR review was recommended, but there was no attempt by Anderson to move his hand towards the ball, and no effect on its flight.
There were some splendid moments of skill not least from Havertz who with his back foot dragged a ball between Anderson and Jannick Vestergaard and just missed with a chip over Schmeichel. The Arsenal striker can do that part of the game as well as being dangerous with his head. Schmeichel was equal to most of that. At 37 years old this might be the last cap he wins for Denmark, his 105th. His father Peter retired from his national team at the same age in 2001.
Nagelsmann had stuck with Havertz, after Niclas Fullkrug’s intervention as a substitute against Switzerland, and one can see why. With Sane and Musiala either side of him, this looks like a potent German attack.
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