The first task of Germany’s EURO2024 campaign has been successfully completed: topping Group A and sealing progression to the knockout stages. Football fever has well and truly gripped the country, and that frenzy will only continue to grow in magnitude as Julian Nagelsmann’s men face Denmark on Saturday.
Nagelsmann was joined by Bayer Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich on Friday evening, delivering the pre-match press conference from Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion. The match will get underway at the home stadium of Borussia Dortmund at 20:00 BST [21:00 CEST] on Saturday, with the winner progressing to face either Spain or Georgia in Stuttgart on Friday.
What did Julian Nagelsmann say?
Nagelsmann insisted that despite Germany’s status as the clear favourites ahead of Saturday’s clash in Dortmund, Denmark are not to be underestimated because they are “a team that can adapt well and ave phases in the game where they defend aggressively.”
“They have a good physicality overall, a clear structure and are very well-rehearsed,” he added, emphasising that Kasper Hjulmand’s side “will be a tough opponent.”
Avoiding complacency is key, and shock results in the group stage have hammered home that fact. Romania and Georgia are perhaps the best examples, with both nations having surpassed all expectations to reach the knockout stages, and Nagelsmann commented that underdog success stories are one of the most enjoyable aspects of the European Championships.
“It’s important for smaller nations to be able to take part in such a big tournament – Georgia, for example. They got better and better from game to game. It’s a special tournament,” he told reporters in Friday’s press conference at the Westfalenstadion.
While Germany could face Georgia in the quarterfinals if Willy Sagnol’s men can find a way past an impressive Spanish side, die Mannschaft have been drawn on the opposite side of the bracket to the majority of the underdogs – and so won’t be able to meet the likes of Austria, Switzerland, Türkiye or Romania until the final.
“I think on paper the other side of the bracket is a bit easier,” Nagelsmann admitted, “but there are teams in the other side of the bracket that have played better than some of the favourites.”
What did Robert Andrich say?
Although the famous Yellow Wall that usually contributes so much to the Westfalenstadion atmosphere won’t be quite as raucous as usual on Saturday, Andrich expressed that he is “looking forward to a great game with an unbelievably great crowd” in Dortmund, adding that it will be “inspire the team” to go on and progress to the quarterfinal stages of the tournament.
Andrich, appearing at his first major tournament at the age of 29, suggests that Germany “want to be variable” with their playing style against a dangerous Denmark side. The midfielder, who plays his club football for Bayer Leverkusen, suggested that the German team “has a certain amount of self-confidence that we want to continue with, and stay hungry to progress to the next round.”
“It won’t be easy,” he acknowledged, “but I’m confident that we’ll progress.”
Germany face Denmark in the EURO2024 round-of-16 at 20:00 UK [21:00 CEST] on Saturday, 29 June. The match will be played at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.
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