Florian Neuhaus and Yussuf Poulsen strike as Germany draw with Denmark on Thomas Müller's return
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Florian Neuhaus and RB Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen exchanged goals as Germany and Denmark drew 1-1 in their pre-Euro 2020 friendly, as Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels returned to the international stage.
Germany dominated the first half of the game and it was Gladbach's Neuhaus who had the first telling effort when running onto the ball and driving a left-footed effort at Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The best chance fell to the returning Müller, though, after a lovely long ball from Bayern Munich teammate Joshua Kimmich into the box. The Raumdeuter interpreted the space perfectly, but only put his header at Schmeichel. Another recently crowned Bundesliga champion had the next chance after Neuhaus’ dug out a ball, but Leroy Sane fired over from close range. Robin Gosens had a powerful drive deflected behind before Serge Gnabry rattled the crossbar with a curling effort from the edge of the box. Despite the chances, though, it remained goalless at the break in Innsbruck.
Parity only lasted a matter of minutes after the restart when Neuhaus took advantage of a loose ball in the box after Kimmich’s touch saw the ball bounce off a defender. It appeared to spark the Danes – and Poulsen in particular – into life as the RB Leipzig striker twice created moments of danger in the Germany box, but neither time managed to test Manuel Neuer on his 99th international appearance. It was third time lucky with 20 minutes remaining, though, as he ran onto Christian Eriksen’s through ball from deep and fired clinically past Neuer to equalise. Poulsen’s former roommate at Leipzig, Kimmich, then came close to restoring the lead for Germany but his touch at the near post only took the ball onto the frame of the Danish goal.
Match stats
Neuhaus scored his second goal on his sixth appearance for Germany’s senior team.
Poulsen’s goal was his first past Neuer. He’d previously scored against Bayern in 2016/17, but Tom Starke was in net that day.
Freiburg left-back Christian Günter earned his second cap for Germany. His first came against Poland in a 0-0 draw in May 2014.
Neuer made his 99th appearance for the national team.
Germany’s final friendly before the Euros is against Latvia on Monday 7 June. They will play all three of their group matches at the tournament at the Allianz Arena against France (15 June), Portugal (19 June), and Hungary (23 June).
Kimmich has his head in his hands. He's got a telling touch on a low ball into the front post but only managed to divert it onto the woodwork.
71'
POULSEN LEVELS!
It's a simple through ball from deep and the Leipzig striker makes the perfect run to get on the end of it, well clear of the nearest Germany defender, and he fires past Neuer at his near post.
The Danes are asking for a penalty as Leipzig's Yussuf Poulsen bulldozes his way into the box. He goes down as former teammate and roommate Kimmich comes in for the challenge, but the Austrian referee waves away the protests.
NEUHAUS STRIKES!
A second international goal for the Gladbach midfielder. It's not the prettiest but they all count as Kimmich tries to take down Gosens' ball in from the left. It ends up bouncing off a Danish defender and Neuhaus simply has to tuck it away from a few yards out.
Rather unusually for a friendly match, we only have one substitution at the break and it's for Denmark as Kasper Dolberg replaces Andreas Olsen up front.
No goals yet but we've had a number of chance - all for Germany - in this pre-Euro warm-up. Müller and Neuhaus have forced Schmeichel into saves, while Gnabry has just struck the crossbar. Joachim Löw will be pleased with things so far.
Half-time
44'
OFF THE BAR!
Serge Gnabry can do it on either foot, and on this occasion he chooses his left as he twists past his man in a central position, looking to curl it into the far top corner. Schmeichel is just watching and hoping as the ball smashes back off the crossbar.
43'
INTO THE WALL
It's Kimmich to take it, but he fires low into the Danish wall.
42'
FREE-KICK GERMANY
Neuhaus is tripped on the edge of the box by the outstretched leg of Kjaer. Free-kick to Germany in a dangerous position, just inside the left of the D.
37'
GOSENS!
A thunderous hit from the Germany left-back as Neuhaus tees him up from a cleared corner. It's rocketing towards goal from a good 25 yards until smashing off the head of man mountain Vestergaard in the way.
35'
STRAIGHT ACROSS!
Kimmich whips in a dangerous free-kick from the right. It's the perfect delivery across goal, where Schmeichel can't come for it, but it also evades all the Germany legs being thrown at it.
Neuhaus nips into the box to the right of goal and manages to dig out a dink across goal. It bounces just at the wrong point in front of Sane coming onto it and he puts his shot over. A very good chance for the Bayern man.
24'
HOJBJERG DOWN
The former Bayern midfielder is down and off the pitch after a coming together with Klostermann. Eriksen's free-kick is then cleared by the first man. It's a good couple of minutes before the Danes are back to 11 players.
20'
SANE DEEP
The Bayern man delivers a corner from the right looking for his club teammate Süle at the far post, but Denmark captain Kjaer gets there just ahead of the big German centre-back.
THE FAMILIAR NO.25
Bigger squads at this year's Euros means Müller has the chance to wear his usual No.25 shirt for Germany. He's earned 99 of his previous 100 caps wearing No.13.
And there's that movement again. He completely loses the Denmark defence as Kimmich delivers a great long ball from deep. Müller is in behind and gets his head to it, but can only put it at Schmeichel, who breathes a sigh of relief.
12'
NEUHAUS!
A first real shot in anger from the four-time world champions falls to their least experienced international player as Florian Neuhaus drives an effort at goal, but straight at Schmeichel.
10'
AS EXPECTED
No surprise to see Germany dominating the possession in the opening minutes with the stat up at 64%. Denmark are happy to sit back, frustrate and then hit on the counter.
6'
MÜLLER CROSSES
An early sign of the movement Thomas Müller brings to a team. He pops up on the right and looks for Sane at the far post with a left-footed cross. His Bayern teammate gets there but puts a shot straight behind from a tight angle.
2'
NEUER UP HIGH
The Germany captain is called into action early as Denmark play a corner short on the left and the eventual cross is deflected high towards his goal. Neuer grasps it safely from the Austrian night sky, though.
Kick-off!
ANTHEMS
The two teams are out in Innsbruck. It's time for the national anthems.
RETURN OF THOMATS
It was a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League 19 November 2018 when Hummels or Müller last pulled on a Germany shirt. After that, Löw stated he wanted to take the national team in another direction. The pair’s club form this season made their continued exclusion impossible, though. Müller topped the Bundesliga assist chart for the second season in a row, this time with 18, and returns today to earn his 101st cap. Hummels also had one of the best years of his career at the heart of Dortmund’s defence and led the Bundesliga for challenge success rate (65%) and won the second-most aerial duels, while he was also the league’s top-scoring defender with five goals. He collects his 71st cap today.
This is, of course, the start of Löw’s farewell after 15 years in charge of Germany. The longest-reigning coach in international football is stepping down after the Euros to be replaced by his former assistant Hansi Flick (left of picture) after he left Bayern. Löw is only guaranteed five more matches at the helm, unless Germany progress from a difficult Group F featuring France, Portugal and Hungary. In an interview this week with Die Zeit, he said how he’s been speaking to German Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured centre) - who is also leaving office this year - about how to finally unwind after so many years in a job. He admits that neither have made any plans for their lives after they step down from what many would consider the two most powerful positions in Germany.
Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand, once of Mainz, starts with two Bundesliga players in Dortmund’s Thomas Delaney and Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen. Frankfurt’s Frederik Rönnow and Hoffenheim’s Robert Skov are on the bench. Centre-back Jannik Vestergard is once of Gladbach, Bremen and Hoffenheim, Andreas Christiansen spent two years on loan with Gladbach, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was once the youngest player to ever appear in the Bundesliga for Bayern, and goalkeeper Jonas Lössl spent two years with Mainz.
GERMANY TEAM NEWS
Joachim Löw names a strong team for this friendly given the players available to him, and it features international returns for Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels after what Müller joked was a “two-year quarantine from the national team”. He forms what could be a fluid front three with Bayern teammates Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane. Manuel Neuer earns his 99th senior cap, while at the other end of the experience scale, Gladbach’s Florian Neuhaus earns only his sixth in central midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich in the absence of Leon Goretzka and Toni Kroos.
