Germany reached the last-eight of Euro 2024 but Denmark were left fuming at VAR after their Round of 16 exit in Dortmund.
The hosts made a blistering start in a stadium where they had lost just one of the 20 matches they had played and Nico Schlotterbeck saw an early header ruled-out for a foul.
The Germans could not make their early dominance count and after a 20-minute delay to the first half caused by a lightning storm, thought they had fallen behind just after half-time when Joachim Andersen swept home, only for VAR to intervene and see the goal chalked off for a marginal offside in the build-up.
The Crystal Palace defender was then left reeling two minutes later when VAR decided he had handled a cross from near point blank range, allowing Kai Havertz to fire home from the penalty spot.
🇩🇪 Three goals in four games for Musiala! #EURO2024 | #GERDEN pic.twitter.com/fy6SyrcIGk
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 29, 2024
Jamal Musiala broke clear to slot the second on 68 minutes while Florian Wirtz had a third on the break disallowed for offside in stoppage-time.
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Blistering start from Nagelsmann’s men
The hosts flew out of the blocks and, playing on his home ground, Schlotterbeck rose highest and thought he had nodded Germany ahead with his first goal for his country inside four minutes, only for referee Michael Oliver to disallow it after Joshua Kimmich blocked his marker in the lead-up.
Kimmich fired in a 25-yard piledriver which Kasper Schmeichel punched over the bar and Schlotterbeck looped a header towards the far post which Schmeichel clawed around the post from the resultant corner.
Havertz was the next to threaten on 10 minutes when he allowed a searching diagonal pass from Antonio Rudiger to drop over his shoulder before firing in a first-time volley across goal which Schmeichel just about managed to turn around the far post.
Robert Andrich headed straight at the keeper – though later picked up a booking which will keep him out of the quarter-final – and Musiala skidded a low shot past the upright as the onslaught continued.
Christian Eriksen showed superb control to bring a long ball under his spell before seeing his low show deflected behind by Rudiger with Denmark’s first effort on 20 minutes while Joakim Maehle slashed wide from an angle soon after when he might have found teammates in the middle.
After weathering the German storm, a real storm broke over Dortmund leading to a 23-minute interlude during which the players returned to the dressing room.
🇩🇪 Hosts Germany are into the quarter-finals! #EURO2024 | #GERDEN pic.twitter.com/p4UJY4HdsV
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 29, 2024
After the resumption Schmeichel produced an instinctive stop to deny Havertz’s close-range header while Schlotterbeck headed into the side netting at the far post soon after.
Schlotterbeck lost possession in his own area only for Rasmus Hojland to lash into the side-netting when he might have shot across goal.
Hojlund was then thwarted by Manuel Neuer who flew off his line to block his shot after Thomas Delaney had prodded into his path on the break with the clearest chance either side had mustered in the opening 45 minutes.
Double torment for Andersen
Denmark thought they had taken the lead less than three minutes after the interval when Andersen swept home a loose ball from close range after a cross was nodded down, only for VAR to rule it out for a fractional offside in the build-up.
Andersen’s night got even worse two minutes later when VAR intervened at the other end to award a penalty against him after he inadvertently handled a cross from the left flank from David Raum who was just a couple of yards away.
Havertz stepped up and, after a stuttering run-up, whipped his penalty into the bottom corner past Schmeichel’s dive for his 18th goal on his 50th cap for Die Mannschaft.
Havertz almost made that 19 just before the hour when he produced a sublime touch to break between the last two defenders and bear down on goal, only to dink his finish past the keeper but also past the far post.
Hojlund had the chance to equalise midway through the second half after being slotted through but drilled his low shot straight at Neuer’s legs.
The Danes were made to pay two minutes later as their defence went to sleep allowing Musiala to race down the left channel onto a perfect ball over the top from Schlotterbeck, which had drawn the keeper off his line temporarily, before bearing down on goal and slotting into the far corner.
Musiala became the first German to score three times in a campaign in five major tournaments, since Thomas Muller at the 2014 World Cup.
Both sides made a swathe of changes in the latter stages but Pierre Emile-Hojberg saw a fierce drive charged down while sub Florian Wirtz was first denied by Schmeichel at the other end and then saw an injury-time goal disallowed for offside.
Havertz was denied a second by the outstretched foot of Schmeichel in the dying seconds but it was the host who go through to play the winner of Spain v Georgia in Stuttgart next Friday.
