Bundesliga
Neuhaus on target on Müller’s Germany return
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Florian Neuhaus and RB Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen exchanged goals as Germany and Denmark drew 1-1 in their pre-Euro 2020 friendly, as Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels returned to the international stage.
Germany 1-1 Denmark
Goals: 1-0 Neuhaus (48’), 1-1 Poulsen (71’)
Germany dominated the first half of the game and it was Gladbach's Neuhaus who had the first telling effort when running onto the ball and driving a left-footed effort at Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The best chance fell to the returning Müller, though, after a lovely long ball from Bayern Munich teammate Joshua Kimmich into the box. The Raumdeuter interpreted the space perfectly, but only put his header at Schmeichel. Another recently crowned Bundesliga champion had the next chance after Neuhaus’ dug out a ball, but Leroy Sane fired over from close range. Robin Gosens had a powerful drive deflected behind before Serge Gnabry rattled the crossbar with a curling effort from the edge of the box. Despite the chances, though, it remained goalless at the break in Innsbruck.
Parity only lasted a matter of minutes after the restart when Neuhaus took advantage of a loose ball in the box after Kimmich’s touch saw the ball bounce off a defender. It appeared to spark the Danes – and Poulsen in particular – into life as the RB Leipzig striker twice created moments of danger in the Germany box, but neither time managed to test Manuel Neuer on his 99th international appearance. It was third time lucky with 20 minutes remaining, though, as he ran onto Christian Eriksen’s through ball from deep and fired clinically past Neuer to equalise. Poulsen’s former roommate at Leipzig, Kimmich, then came close to restoring the lead for Germany but his touch at the near post only took the ball onto the frame of the Danish goal.
Match stats
- Neuhaus scored his second goal on his sixth appearance for Germany’s senior team.
- Poulsen’s goal was his first past Neuer. He’d previously scored against Bayern in 2016/17, but Tom Starke was in net that day.
- Freiburg left-back Christian Günter earned his second cap for Germany. His first came against Poland in a 0-0 draw in May 2014.
- Neuer made his 99th appearance for the national team.
- Germany’s final friendly before the Euros is against Latvia on Monday 7 June. They will play all three of their group matches at the tournament at the Allianz Arena against France (15 June), Portugal (19 June), and Hungary (23 June).
Line-ups
Germany: Neuer (c) - Süle, Hummels, Ginter - Klostermann (Koch 60’), Kimmich, Neuhaus, Gosens (Günter 79’) - Gnabry (Volland 79’), Müller, Sane (Hofmann 86’)
Unused subs: Leno, Trapp, Halstenberg, Hofmann, Musiala
Out: Goretzka (thigh), Güngodan, Havertz, Rüdiger, Werner (all yet to join squad)
Coach: Joachim Löw
Denmark: Schmeichel - Wass (Christiansen 85’), Kjaer (c) (Zanka 80’), Vestergaard, Maehle - Hojbjerg (Stryger Larsen 68’), Delaney - Poulsen (Damsgaard 80’), Eriksen, Olsen (Dolberg 46’) - Braithwaite (Boilesen 80’)
Unused subs: Lössl, Rönnow, Skov, Wind, Cornelius
Out: -
Coach: Kasper Hjulmand
As it happened
1 - 1(0 - 0)
Germany
FINAL
Denmark
90'
vs
ADDED TIME
Two minutes of it at the end of this friendly.
86'
vs
Jonas Hofmann
Leroy Sane
85'
vs
Anders Christiansen
Daniel Wass
81'
vs
SUBSTITUTIONS
There are all those changes we expect from a friendly: two for Germany, three for Denmark.
80'
vs
Mikkel Damsgaard
Yussuf Poulsen
80'
vs
Zanka
Simon Kjaer
80'
vs
Nicolai Boilesen
Martin Braithwaite
79'
vs
Christian Günter
Robin Gosens
79'
vs
Kevin Volland
Serge Gnabry
77'
vs
OFF THE POST!
Kimmich has his head in his hands. He's got a telling touch on a low ball into the front post but only managed to divert it onto the woodwork.
71'
vs
POULSEN LEVELS!
It's a simple through ball from deep and the Leipzig striker makes the perfect run to get on the end of it, well clear of the nearest Germany defender, and he fires past Neuer at his near post.
68'
vs
Jens Stryger Larsen
Pierre-Emil Hojbjerg
60'
vs
KOCH ON
The former Freiburg defender comes on for the final half an hour. It means Germany now have four centre-backs on the pitch.
60'
vs
Robin Koch
Lukas Klostermann
57'
vs
POULSEN AGAIN
The Leipzig forward is again involved as he flashes a low ball in from the right, but Ginter is there to clear the danger.
57'
vs
Leroy Sane
51'
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POULSEN THROUGH
The Danes are asking for a penalty as Leipzig's Yussuf Poulsen bulldozes his way into the box. He goes down as former teammate and roommate Kimmich comes in for the challenge, but the Austrian referee waves away the protests.
46'
vs
JUST ONE CHANGE
Rather unusually for a friendly match, we only have one substitution at the break and it's for Denmark as Kasper Dolberg replaces Andreas Olsen up front.
46'
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Kasper Dolberg
Andreas Olsen
0 - 0
Kick-off!
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HALF-TIME
No goals yet but we've had a number of chance - all for Germany - in this pre-Euro warm-up. Müller and Neuhaus have forced Schmeichel into saves, while Gnabry has just struck the crossbar. Joachim Löw will be pleased with things so far.
0 - 0
Half-time
44'
vs
OFF THE BAR!
Serge Gnabry can do it on either foot, and on this occasion he chooses his left as he twists past his man in a central position, looking to curl it into the far top corner. Schmeichel is just watching and hoping as the ball smashes back off the crossbar.
43'
vs
INTO THE WALL
It's Kimmich to take it, but he fires low into the Danish wall.
42'
vs
FREE-KICK GERMANY
Neuhaus is tripped on the edge of the box by the outstretched leg of Kjaer. Free-kick to Germany in a dangerous position, just inside the left of the D.
37'
vs
GOSENS!
A thunderous hit from the Germany left-back as Neuhaus tees him up from a cleared corner. It's rocketing towards goal from a good 25 yards until smashing off the head of man mountain Vestergaard in the way.
35'
vs
STRAIGHT ACROSS!
Kimmich whips in a dangerous free-kick from the right. It's the perfect delivery across goal, where Schmeichel can't come for it, but it also evades all the Germany legs being thrown at it.
28'
vs
SANE!
Neuhaus nips into the box to the right of goal and manages to dig out a dink across goal. It bounces just at the wrong point in front of Sane coming onto it and he puts his shot over. A very good chance for the Bayern man.
24'
vs
HOJBJERG DOWN
The former Bayern midfielder is down and off the pitch after a coming together with Klostermann. Eriksen's free-kick is then cleared by the first man. It's a good couple of minutes before the Danes are back to 11 players.
20'
vs
SANE DEEP
The Bayern man delivers a corner from the right looking for his club teammate Süle at the far post, but Denmark captain Kjaer gets there just ahead of the big German centre-back.
14'
vs
MÜLLER!
And there's that movement again. He completely loses the Denmark defence as Kimmich delivers a great long ball from deep. Müller is in behind and gets his head to it, but can only put it at Schmeichel, who breathes a sigh of relief.
12'
vs
NEUHAUS!
A first real shot in anger from the four-time world champions falls to their least experienced international player as Florian Neuhaus drives an effort at goal, but straight at Schmeichel.
10'
vs
AS EXPECTED
No surprise to see Germany dominating the possession in the opening minutes with the stat up at 64%. Denmark are happy to sit back, frustrate and then hit on the counter.
6'
vs
MÜLLER CROSSES
An early sign of the movement Thomas Müller brings to a team. He pops up on the right and looks for Sane at the far post with a left-footed cross. His Bayern teammate gets there but puts a shot straight behind from a tight angle.
2'
vs
NEUER UP HIGH
The Germany captain is called into action early as Denmark play a corner short on the left and the eventual cross is deflected high towards his goal. Neuer grasps it safely from the Austrian night sky, though.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
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ANTHEMS
The two teams are out in Innsbruck. It's time for the national anthems.
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DENMARK TEAM NEWS
Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand, once of Mainz, starts with two Bundesliga players in Dortmund’s Thomas Delaney and Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen. Frankfurt’s Frederik Rönnow and Hoffenheim’s Robert Skov are on the bench. Centre-back Jannik Vestergard is once of Gladbach, Bremen and Hoffenheim, Andreas Christiansen spent two years on loan with Gladbach, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was once the youngest player to ever appear in the Bundesliga for Bayern, and goalkeeper Jonas Lössl spent two years with Mainz.
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GERMANY TEAM NEWS
Joachim Löw names a strong team for this friendly given the players available to him, and it features international returns for Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels after what Müller joked was a “two-year quarantine from the national team”. He forms what could be a fluid front three with Bayern teammates Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane. Manuel Neuer earns his 99th senior cap, while at the other end of the experience scale, Gladbach’s Florian Neuhaus earns only his sixth in central midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich in the absence of Leon Goretzka and Toni Kroos.
vs
DENMARK SUBS
Lössl, Rönnow, Skov, Dolberg, Jörgensen, Damsgaard, Stryger Larsen, Wind, Cornelius, Christiansen, Boilesen
vs
DENMARK XI
Schmeichel - Wass, Kjaer (c), Vestergaard, Maehle - Hojbjerg, Delaney - Poulsen, Eriksen, Olsen - Braithwaite
vs
GERMANY SUBS
Leno, Trapp, Halstenberg, Volland, Hofmann, Musiala, Koch, Günter
vs
GERMANY XI
Neuer (c) - Süle, Hummels, Ginter – Klostermann, Kimmich, Neuhaus, Gosens - Gnabry, Müller, Sane