Germany are through to the EURO 2024 quarter-finals to face either Spain or Georgia, but needed the rub of the green with some VAR decisions at both ends to push past Denmark 2-0.
The hosts had started with comfortable victories over Scotland and Hungary, but scraped a last-gasp 1-1 draw with Switzerland to top the group. Jonathan Tah and former Lecce midfielder Morten Hjulmand sat out bans, with Serie A represented by Bologna’s Victor Kristiansen and ex-Atalanta pair Rasmus Hojlund and Joakim Maehle.
Nico Schlotterbeck rose to nod in an early Germany corner kick in the fourth minute, though it was disallowed for an earlier Joshua Kimmich push.
Kimmich’s long-range strike was palmed away and Denmark started to push forward, Antonio Rudiger making a decisive block on the sensational Christian Eriksen first touch.
Play was halted on 35 minutes when a thunderstorm hovered over the stadium, complete with lightning bolts and large lumps of hail.
When it resumed, Kasper Schmeichel parried the Kai Havertz header from point-blank range, then Manuel Neuer came rushing off his line to get something on the Rasmus Hojlund counter-attack, allowing his teammate to clear from an open goal.
Denmark had the ball in the net with Joachim Andersen after a chaotic move at the dawn of the second half, but it was ruled offside by a matter of millimetres.
Moments later, VAR intervened again for a Germany penalty when the David Raum cross struck Andersen’s hand in an unnatural position, so Havertz converted into the near bottom corner.
The hosts doubled their lead on the counter-attack with a Musiala angled drive after the splendid long Schlotterbeck ball over the top.
Florian Wirtz became the latest player to see a goal disallowed at the 90th for offside after a delicate dink over Schmeichel.
Germany 2-0 Denmark
Havertz pen 54 (G), Musiala 68 (G)
Player statistic
| Kai Havertz |  |
53' | ||
| 57' |  |
Joachim Andersen | ||
| 60' | |
Joakim Maehle | ||
| Jamal Musiala (Assist: Nico Schlotterbeck) |
 |
68' |
