Goals on either half by Shkodran Mustafi and Bastian Schweinsteiger assisted world champions Germany to a 2-0 win over Ukraine in their Group C opener at Euro 2016 on Sunday (June 12) in their bid for a record fourth European crown.
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Shkodran Mustafi’s header put Germany on course in the 19th minute of the Group C encounter, when the Valencia defender beat his marker to meet Toni Kroos’ curling free kick from the right and head with power inside the left post.
In the next game, Germany will face Poland on June 16 in Saint Denis, a suburb of Paris.
They nearly doubled their advantage when a superb pass over the top from the impressive Kroos was brought down by Sami Khedira, who then fired his shot too close to Ukraine keeper Andrei Pyatov. But it was not easy against a strong defence and unsafe counter-attacks.
“The team has realized that we won’t win as individuals”, midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak said through a translator.
Ukraine had decent chances to score in the first half, with Jerome Boateng clearing a Yevhen Konoplyanka effort off the goal-line.
But while they looked shaky at the back, Ukraine continued to threaten at the other end with Neuer having to tip Yevhen Khacheridi’s point-blank header over the crossbar.
Germany may have won their opening Euro 2016 game against Ukraine 2-0 yesterday, with talismanic captain Bastian Schweinsteiger scoring late, but the victory also highlighted the need for defensive repairs.
The Real Madrid playmaker performed an equally spectacular knee dive into the corner of the Parc des Princes, where he was joined by team-mates but also a fan in a Croatia replica shirt and red and white painted head.
Boasting of one of the best midfield combinations, in Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, and Milan Badelj, in the tournament, Croatia have once again marked as the team to watch out for. “He said that we needed to get back to the point when we started”. Physically and mentally, everything will be OK for the next match..
Neuer said the best was yet to come from Germany.
Germany could have added to their early lead, which came from a debatable free-kick after Yaroslav Rakitskiy appeared to get the ball when tackling Thomas Muller.
As McNair was replaced by Stuart Dallas at half time, though, Northern Ireland conceded within five minutes of the restart. “Obviously we have a lot of players out injured but I think the players who did play did a very good job”.
Joachim Loew’s men continued to dominate the possession in all areas of the field during the second-half and while some heroics from Yellow-Blue goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov kept some hope alive on the scoresheet, the Ukrainians could hardly buy a chance on goal to equalise.
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After the game, Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko described Germany as a “machine”, though ominously Kroos suggested there was more to come from. “They are full of great players and my players knew they would be up against a team of very high quality”.
