Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to key eventsSkip to navigation

Germany dominated Slovakia from first minute to last with a cohesive, complete performance; Jogi Low appears to have found the right balance, and his team meet Italy or Spain next Saturday

 Updated 
Sun 26 Jun 2016 13.56 EDTFirst published on Sun 26 Jun 2016 11.00 EDT
Draxler celebrates scoring number three.
Draxler celebrates scoring number three. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Draxler celebrates scoring number three. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Live feed

Key events

That was an excellent show from Germany, who directed Slovakia around the pitch for the entirety of the game - they seem to have found a first XI. In the first half especially, they purred with menace and invention, Hector and Kimmich a particular threat and Draxler an imaginative, dextrous joy.

They will play Italy or Spain in Bordeaux, next Saturday! Well, if you’re forcing me!

Share
Updated at 

Full-time: Germany 3-0 Slovakia

That was so comprehensive Michael Gove is already trying to make it an academy.

90+1 min And Germany almost add a fourth! Again, Muller zooms and feints down the right - well, you know - cutting back a tasty ball into the path of Kroos, who meets it at full pelt, ten yards out. But it’s near enough to Kozack for him to beat away. Great save, though he oughtn’t to have had a chance.

88 min For all the patter about Kimmich, Hector is the first of the gang to die equally impressive. And he breaks forward again, on the end of lovely one-touch stuff between more or less everyone, overhitting his eventual cross.

83 min Podolski is trying really hard, and he finds space on the left of the box before slamming a low left footer into the nearest defender.

80 min “Switched from listening to Emily Thornberry telling Channel 4 news Jeremy Corbyn was on course to be Prime Minister to find you describing this as the best performanceafter three others including ‘England against Russia,” emails Ally Ross. “Have I passed into the next life? Please confirm.”

Thornberry is from Islington, so naturally she has a deep affinity to irony.

77 min “Julian Bradnt,” emails David Birl. “Only 20 - powered Leverkusen to the Champions League. Low did not take him but probably should have instead of Podolski. Similar talent to Draxler.”

Yeah, would’ve been nice to see Weigl today too. Only eight more required for a team of Julians. I’d naturalise the one from Famous Five.

75 min “Maybe, slightly, disagree on that ‘most impressive’ thing,” tweets Hubert O’Hearn. “Slovakia are - to be kind - Team Scrub.”

Yes, that’s fair - or, at least, they’ve been thoroughly deconstructed today. But there haven’t been many of those in this competition, and as far as Germany go it doesn’t necessarily matter. They’re confident.

71 min Changes for Germany: Boateng off and Howedes on; Draxler off and Podolski on. Wow, Germany must really be sure this one’s won.

Share
Updated at 

69 min Perhaps Germany are “peaking at the right time”.After Croatia against Spain, Italy against Belgium and England against Russia, this is the most impressive performance of the competition so far.

67 min And Hummels welcomes him to the game with a cruncher - he flies in low, curls his body and feet around the ball, wins it cleanly, and is booked for his trouble. Durica slams the free-kick wide of the near post.

Share
Updated at 

GOAL! Germany 3-0 Slovakia (Draxler 63)

Nothing more than his performance deserves. Kroos clips to the back post, Hummels is up, and his header finds Draxler alone and palely loitering about eight yards out. But there’s still plenty to do, so he does it, watching the ball over his shoulder before swivelling to control a powervolley into the roof of the net, close the top near-post corner. Beautifully done.

Draxler scores the third. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
And celebrates. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Share
Updated at 

62 min Kimmich humps down the line to Muller, and he falls into a cross that’s turned behind before Gomez can convert.

60 min Oh this is brilliant from Draxler! He pirouttes away from Durica, then between him and Gyomber, so Durica drags him down. No foul says the referee, for reasons known best to himself.

57 min Germany aren’t quite at it now, and when Skriniak lumbers at the heart of their defence, Draxler, can’t resist tripping him. Another free-kick, this one left of centre - and only just - but slightly further out. Hamsik rolls it to Kuka, and he smelts it to alla schwarze yoren.

55 min Slovakia have been much better this half, but then Hrosovsky loses possession carelessly and with one measured, first-time pass, Hummels finds Draxler. He jinks down the side of Gyomber, but is crowded out thereafter.

54 min Hamsik goes over the far side of the wall, and the ball clips Hummels’ shoulder on its way over. The ref gives a goalkick, and there follows consternation.

53 min Lovely from Hrosovsky, who turns inside Kroos so is pulled down by Hector. Free-kick, 30 yards out, left of centre, and here comes Hamsik...

51 min This game - and Germany’s last - have been lessons for Roy Hodgson: there’s a difference between having possession and using possession.

49 min Flying winger Muller, who’s been relatively quiet, comes in off his touchline and feeds Kroos. 30 yards out and dead centre, it looks open for him to hit one, but Skriniar flings himself into the block.

47 min Not often does one receive an email with “German hip-hop” in the subject box, but here’s Hauke Wemken:

“German players probably feel good, very good. (Which is basically the lyrics: I am fine. I am very very fine. I don’t wanna do anything else but this. In fact in best form...)

Hope for the players that it doesn’t end like in the video.”

Incidentally, Lee Dixon is incandescent at the defending which allowed Boateng so much time in lining up the opener. He’s right.

43 min “Two things,” stomps Matt Dony. “Firstly, as a centre-half who learnt much of the game playing with a bunch of older, very vocal cloggers, if you’re enjoying playing football, then someone is playing it wrong. Secondly, Ramsey was naturally fired up, but won loads of tackles, played some lovely passes, and for long spells ran the show against England. Him and JA7 are playing as if they’re offended at the suggestion that Wales are a one-man team.”

Can’t agree with that one. Wales created almost nothing and had almost nothing of the ball - Ramsey spent too long running round in a tantrum starting senseless rows. I found their whole approach to that game odd, making it personal with patter all the sillier when only Robson-Kanu and maybe the back-four turned up.

GOAL! Germany 2-0 Slovakia (Gomez, 43)

And what - what! - a goal this is! Hector clips down the line to Khedira, who finds Draxler. He rolls the ball across his body with his right studs, allows it under his left and leaves Kucka flummoxed, befuddled and stupefied. He then snaps a low cross to the near post, and Gomez gets his body shape perfect to turn in a much harder finish that was initially apparent. These last three minutes; that’s the game, right there.

Gomez celebrates after scoring the second. Photograph: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images
Share
Updated at 

41 min And there it nearly is! Pekarik finds space down the right and flights a cross towards the back post, where Kucka is up epochs before Kimmich, heading powerfulyl towards the top corner. But Neuer is wise to the rude, springing over to palm over. The corner comes to nowt, but that’s a warning for Germany.

39 min Germany are humming now! Delicious, delectable skill from Ozil, admittedly alone 30 yards from goal before scooping a ball over the top for Draxler who chests, swivels, and shoots over the top. Quite simply, Germany are much, much too good for Slovakia, who haven’t mustered so much as a shot. And yet, it’s still 1-0, so you never know.

Draxler in control. Photograph: Filip Singer/EPA
Share
Updated at 

37 min Just inside the box, Draxler glides inside Pekarik with an exaggerated flow, then diddles him by flipping the other way. But Skrtel is over sharply to block his shot.

35 min Kimmich hits the line and clips back a fine cross - Muller and Skrtel contest it, and both hit the deck thereafter, as you’d expect. Both are fine.

33 min This game does now look a fair bit like Slovakia-England game, with the obvious difference that Germany understand how to pull and pick apart a deep defence. Their full-backs are both playing well and using the ball well, but, more importantly, they have players able to beat men and who pass well enough to take risks. Imagine if they had Henderson and Lallana too!

32 min It’s funny how it goes. Germany looked so confident from the start today, for no reason other than playing ok against Northern Ireland. Perhaps the players prefer this formation and these personnel.

29 min Lovely from Draxler, skimming around Gyomber down the right and dribbling - not a word we get to use much anymore - along the by-line. His pull-back doesn’t work, but he looks in the mood.

Draxler skims round Gyoember. Photograph: Rolex Dela Pena/EPA
Share
Updated at 

26 min “Was Ozil trying to Pirlo Kozacik?” asks Ken Babstock. “By which I mean, embarrass, humiliate, dominate, break the spine of? Was it attempt at a particular flavour of subliminal revenge after the friendly (and isn’t there a German word for that?) And isn’t it too early in the game? And why all the stick for Arsenal players? They’ve been wonderful! cf. Ramsay, Xhaka, Giroud, Koscielny, Ozil, Mertesack...Oh”

He wasn’t, but you’re a generous man. I thought Ramsey spent the England game running about trying to get into a ruck, and Xhaka missed that penalty yesterday.

24 min Lovely from Draxler down the left, hustling Gyomber by coming back onto his right foot and lifting a cross for Gomez. He doesn extremely well to knock it down into the path of Ozil, who drives just past the post.

Ozil reacts after missing a chance. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
Share
Updated at 

23 min Hummels is that rarity, a centre-back who opponents need to plan for as a playmaker, and he drills a lovely low pass inside Gyomber for Hector. The ensuing cross is kicked away, but a second goal is in the post.

21 min Perhaps Jogi Low has found his team, because Germany are all over Slovakia like a cheap rash. They force a corner down the right which isn’t cleared for sometime, and then the siege begins again.

20 min Weiss breaks forward down the left. Nothing comes of it because Duris is offside, but it’s a start.

Most viewed

Most viewed