Download Germany vs Greece 2-1 Highlights | Friendly Match
Germany 2-1 Greece
Goals: 0-1 Masouras (34’), 1-1 Havertz 56’ (assist: Sané), 2-1 Groß (89′)
Euro 2024 host Germany had to come from a goal down to snatch a last gasp 2-1 victory over Greece on Friday in a lacklustre dress rehearsal ahead of next week’s tournament start.
Pascal Gross fired in the winner in the 89th minute as the Germans showed they still have room for improvement ahead of their June 14 tournament opener against Scotland.
In an error-ridden first half performance, the hosts often lost possession, with the Greeks carving out a golden chance in the sixth minute.
But Christos Tzolis’s double effort from close range was blocked by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who will be first choice between the posts in the tournament over Marc-André ter Stegen.
Neuer, however, could not hold on to another Tzolis shot in the 33rd after the German defence lost possession in their own half, with the keeper spilling the ball into the path of Giorgos Masouras for a tap-in.
“We know well that in football bad first halves are part of it,” said Germany midfielder Toni Kroos.
“Just too many mistakes. We gifted the ball away too often, then we were hit on the break. We were more focused in the second half. We did it better after the break.”
Germany put the ball in the net in the 43rd with Kai Havertz but he was offside. The Arsenal player is expected to start in attack at the Euros with Niclas Füllkrug, who came on in the second half, on the bench.
Germany started pressing higher after the break with coach Julian Nagelsmann making five substitutions in the second half, and they startedpushing the visitors back.
Havertz did better in the 55th, turning in the box and levelling with a deflected shot.
Greece almost hit back on the break in the 64th but Neuer again came to the rescue before Benjamin Henrichs rattled the crossbar with a 20-metre missile.
Gross, also a second-half substitute, then made sure of the win with his long range effort with the fans, desperate to see the team win their first major international title in a decade on home soil, breathing a sigh of relief.
“The second half was at times better, at least better than the first,” Nagelsmann said. “We lost possession far too many times in that first half.
“We were too slow and we addressed that at halftime. We will now meet up on Monday to start preparing for Scotland.
“They are an opponent with a lot of power and we will prepare well and we will play a good opener,” he added.
Germany also play Hungary and Switzerland in their Euro Group A.
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Match stats
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TEAM STATS
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|---|---|---|
| 12 | Shots | 14 |
| 5 | Shots on target | 6 |
| 70% | Possession | 30% |
| 649 | Passes | 291 |
| 91% | Pass accuracy | 78% |
| 11 | Fouls | 13 |
| 0 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 3 | Offsides | 2 |
| 13 | Corners | 3 |
- Havertz scored his 16th international goal on his 46th outing for Germany.
- Groß’s goal was his first at senior level for Germany.
- Füllkrug is Germany’s top scorer in the Nagelsmann era with four goals from six games (plus an assist). Havertz is next with three.
- Nagelsmann’s record in charge of the national team (all friendly matches) is four wins, two draws and two defeats.
- Germany have never lost against Greece, with seven wins and three draws. The most recent encounter prior to this game was a 4-2 win in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012.
- No players from Greece appeared in the Bundesliga this past season, but Tzolis finished as joint-top scorer in the second division with 22 goals for Düsseldorf.
Line-ups
Germany: Neuer – Kimmich (Henrichs 68′), Tah, Rüdiger (Schlotterbeck 69′), Mittelstädt (Raum 46′) – Kroos, Andrich (Groß 68′) – Musiala, Gündoğan (c) (Füllkrug 68′), Wirtz (Sané 46′) – Havertz
Unused subs: Baumann, Beier, Führich, Koch, Müller, Pavlović, Ter Stegen, Undav
Out: –
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Greece: Vlachodimos (Athanasiadis 78′) – Rota, Mavropanos, Hatzidiakos, Giannoulis – Siopis, Mantalos (Kourbelis 78′) – Bakasetas (Bouchalakis 68′) – Masouras (Douvikas 68′), Ioannidis (Pavlidis 10′), Tzolis
Unused subs: Mandas, Tzolakis, Kotsiras, Koulierakis, Kyriakopoulos, Ntoi, Retsos, Saliakas, Limnios, Tsingaras
Out:
Coach: Nikos Papadopoulos
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