The German national football team secured group victory at the European Championships with a 1:1 draw against Switzerland. However, the DFB team did not cut a good figure on the pitch, according to newspapers abroad.
Julian Nagelsmann congratulated his fellow coach Murat Yakin with great relief. The German national players hugged each other with a smile after the 1:1 (0:1) showdown against Switzerland and were celebrated by the fans, who only started to celebrate very late. Thanks to super-sub Niclas Füllkrug, Nagelsmann’s fun footballers have achieved their most important goal – but the DFB selection still has a lot of work to do before the European Championship round of 16.
Füllkrug scored the late equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time, which was celebrated by many, and thus secured the group victory demanded by the national coach in the last preliminary round match. Dan Ndoye (28th minute) had put the clever Swiss in the lead on Sunday in the European Championship stadium in Frankfurt and noticeably shocked the national players and their fans. Instead of going into the first knockout round on Saturday in the Dortmund football temple with a puff of their chest, the DFB eleven will continue with slight doubts. The first opponent in the first all-or-nothing game could be England, as it was three years ago.
This is how the foreign press commented on the draw between Germany and Switzerland:
Switzerland
“View”: “Füllkrug gives the Nati an ice-cold shower in injury time.”
“Daily Advertiser”: “In the 92nd minute the dream against Germany bursts.”
90+2! Füllkrug saves group victory against strong Swiss – all highlights in the video
06:03 min
Great Britain
“The Sun”: “The hosts’ late equaliser means England must beat Slovenia to avoid a nightmare last-16 tie against Germany.”
“Daily Mirror”: “The favorite was put under pressure for the first time in this tournament by a hungry, well-organized Swiss team. Switzerland certainly deserves its status as a “dark horse.” They would even have won the group if it hadn’t been for Füllkrug’s substitute goal.”
“Guardian”: “It was a more humble and wiser Germany that left the pitch after the final whistle. Euphoric after Niclas Füllkrug’s stoppage-time header, relieved to have won the group, but perhaps with a more realistic sense of where they stand and what they are capable of. Like one of their trains, Germany’s journey to Euro 2024 stumbled and sputtered, and was even threatened with an unplanned diversion.”
USA
“New York Times”: “Füllkrug is the savior, but the host looks vulnerable.”
DFB against Switzerland
Sluggish and strained until fullness redeems everyone – the German team in individual criticism
Italy
“The Sports Newspaper”: “Germany thanks Füllkrug and finishes the group first. Switzerland could challenge Italy. Switzerland is close to victory, but then the Borussia goalscorer gives Germany the win. Sudden uncertainty for Germany, but that’s enough for the moment.”
“Sports Newspaper”: “A last-gasp draw for Germany. Füllkrug responds to Ndoye in the 92nd minute. The home team manages to emerge from the group as winners with their last breath.”
“Corriere della Sera”: “For 92 minutes, Switzerland had the feeling that they would beat Germany and qualify for the round of 16 as group winners. But the Germans would not have complained overall; as second place they would have avoided Spain and France and could have faced Italy or England.”
France
“The Team”: “An uninspired Germany fought for a 1-1 draw against Switzerland. The hosts retained their first place in the group. It was only in the 90th+2 minute that Niclas Füllkrug was able to equalize with a header against the strong Swiss. Already at the beginning of the game, the tone was set by several technical errors by Toni Kroos.”
“The Parisian”: “Did the German team let up a little too much? Maybe, but they have recovered well. After two wins against Hungary and Scotland, they had already secured their place in the round of 16. Germany fought for a draw against Switzerland in injury time thanks to the inevitable Niclas Füllkrug goal and thus retained first place in Group A.”
RMC Sport: “In a game that they had no control over, the Germans even fell behind. In injury time, Füllkrug equalized, securing first place in Group A. Switzerland at least finished second in the group.”
Spain
“Brand”: “Füllkrug saves the group victory with the final whistle. The hosts continue to play in the lower half of the tournament and see Spain on the horizon. Germany is back on the ground after two extremely comfortable match days. The duel against a tough team like Switzerland showed that Nagelsmann’s team is vulnerable. (…) No matter how many playmakers Germany has, it needs that one man to score goals. And the Füllkrugs could be of decisive importance as the European Championship progresses.”
“Sports World”: “Füllkrug sends Germany on Spain’s path in injury time. Switzerland were close to achieving the impossible and defeating Germany. In the first two games, it seemed as if the German team was a perfectly oiled machine, but in the decisive game, they cast doubt on that.”
Austria
“Courier”: “In the third group match, the German national team was shown that it is still a long and rocky road to the European Championship title.”
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
