Euro 2024 hosts Germany dominate but play out goal-less draw against Ukraine
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Ukraine's Andriy Yarmolenko in action with Germany's Maximilian Mittelstadt.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NUREMBERG – Euro 2024 hosts Germany missed scores of chances and dominated for much of the game against Ukraine on June 3, but could not find the net in a goal-less draw in their penultimate warmup game before the tournament starts on June 14.
The Germans, desperate for a good European Championship on home soil after a decade without any international success, hit the woodwork and came close on several occasions in a strong performance despite plenty of substitutions.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann is due to announce his final squad this week, cutting one player from his 27-man preliminary selection.
“I wish we had won 2-0 or 3-0. We played a good game over large phases. The team wanted to win and you could feel it. The first 20 minutes were very good,” said Nagelsmann.
“Then the 20 minutes after the break were also very good again and we had six or seven chances to score a goal.
“Then we got caught out on some quick breaks but Manuel (Neuer) was there and he played a good game as well.”
Germany, without Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund players in the line-up following the Champions League final on June 1, but with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the stands, started at a fast pace and with high pressing.
Ilkay Gundogan should have put them in the lead in the 16th minute when Pascal Gross sent a cross to the far post but the unmarked Germany captain failed to connect properly.
The Ukrainians, who qualified for Euro 2024 following a play-off win over Iceland, left possession to their opponents and instead tried to counter-attack using Mykhailo Mudryk’s speed.
The Germans, who play their final warm-up game against Greece on June 7, came close again early in the second half but Kai Havertz's glancing header sailed wide in the 53rd minute.
Substitute Maximilian Beier, making his national team debut, came even closer with his first touch, hitting the crossbar from a tight angle and then forcing a save from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin minutes later. Trubin also denied Chris Fuhrich from the edge of the box.
The visitors got a bigger share of possession after an hour and could have snatched the win in the last minute but Germany goalkeeper Neuer, making his first national team appearance since the 2022 World Cup, stopped Andriy Yarmolenko’s effort from a tight angle.
Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov was happy with the clean sheet but felt they still have to tighten up at the back.
He said: “I am satisfied with the result of the match, but we made a lot of mistakes in defence. So we need to work (on that).
“We are not ready 100 per cent yet, and in matches against such teams as Germany, all players should be ready for 100 per cent. In any case, it was a very important sparring for us, which will help us to prepare for the Euro.” REUTERS, AFP
