The game of the day
Germany against Denmark (9 p.m., ZDF). Or as my colleagues say: “the worse Switzerland”. A round of 16 that the German team owes to Niclas Füllkrug and his late equalizer in the last group match against the real Switzerland. The Swiss national team now has to overcome Italy’s intimidating goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, while Germany faces a team that has not yet lost at this European Championship – but has not yet won either.
Danish defender Jannik Vestergaard claimed in an interview that this was because it had not been necessary up to now. Sounds like a lame excuse, the kind every grade four student and every showjumper likes to use. But it could also turn out to be the hard truth. After all, the Danes made it to the semi-finals at the last European Championships and were only knocked out by England because of a controversial penalty. We won’t even talk about the 1992 European Championship victory against Germany – a picture says enough anyway.
The rest of the game:
Switzerland – Italy (6 p.m., RTL, MagentaTV)
German players on the ground: Nobody in Germany wants to see the image after the 1992 European Championship final. © Federico Gambarini/dpa
Who will be important today?
Nico Schlotterbeck. Even if his debut in the starting eleven at this European Championship, unlike his nomination for the squad, was not announced on the Tagesschau, it could hardly be more important. Jonathan Tah will miss the round of 16 due to a yellow card suspension. And because Antonio Rüdiger’s participation is at least questionable due to a strain, Schlotterbeck has gone from being a bench warmer to being a full-back in central defence. With only 29 minutes to play against Switzerland. At least he mastered that well. That cannot be said of all the games he has played for the national team. His last start in a tournament? The 1:2 defeat against Japan in the preliminary round of the World Cup in Qatar. When asked about it this week, Schlotterbeck said: “It’s you who is being followed, not me.” So there is hope that the only thing being followed today is the Danish offensive. And by Nico Schlotterbeck.
Dear Germany…
(from Lydia Paralta Gomes, Tribuna Expresso Portugal)
© ZEIT ONLINE
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Many years ago I was an Erasmus student in Madrid and had a German roommate. She was convinced that we had been switched at birth because she was so “latina” and I was so German. So I’m happy to finally be home after all these years! I’ve made a firm resolution to get the most out of it. I eat as much kebab as my stomach can handle. In Cologne I only drank beer that I knew met Kölsch standards. And for my trips through Germany I try to book only the trains with the most delays in order to have as German an experience as possible. I’ve had bad luck there. My IC left Leipzig on time and arrived in Dortmund on time too. Pure magic. Seriously: At least there are trains in Germany. A Portuguese person from a medium-sized city can only dream of that. So: Deutsche Bahn Forever, even if I have to change trains halfway through because of “technical problems”.
The international journalists who are travelling through Germany for the European Championships are keen on the German kebab. © Fabian Sommer/dpa
Phrase of the day
“give cueca”
(give underwear, Portuguese)
If someone is tunnelled on the pitch in Portugal, the opponent may have taken away his football honour, but at least he has given him a pair of underpants. Whether they are new or used is not specified in the expression.
Who is already European Champion?
Florian Lange from Mettingen. He raced his soapbox to victory in the Elite XL class at the European Championships in Saarland last year. A fair and well-deserved victory. After there had been some fine-tuning and even sabotage in recent years, the vehicles were locked in the gym the night before the race. As far as we know, the drivers were allowed to walk around freely.
What was the quote of the day?
“I conceded a few goals in training so that my teammates wouldn’t be too depressed.”
(Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma boosts his teammates’ confidence in his own way)
Germany against Denmark (9 p.m., ZDF). Or as my colleagues say: “the worse Switzerland”. A round of 16 that the German team owes to Niclas Füllkrug and his late equalizer in the last group match against the real Switzerland. The Swiss national team now has to overcome Italy’s intimidating goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, while Germany faces a team that has not yet lost at this European Championship – but has not yet won either.
Danish defender Jannik Vestergaard claimed in an interview that this was because it had not been necessary up to now. Sounds like a lame excuse, the kind every grade four student and every showjumper likes to use. But it could also turn out to be the hard truth. After all, the Danes made it to the semi-finals at the last European Championships and were only knocked out by England because of a controversial penalty. We won’t even talk about the 1992 European Championship victory against Germany – a picture says enough anyway.
