Klagenfurt: Germany can never really be counted out when it comes to a major football tournament, not even now that Croatia can be officially counted in as one of the European Championship's first quarter-finalists after beating the three-time champions 2-1.
The Croats, who clinched first place in Group B with the win, got goals from Darijo Srna and Ivica Olic to leave the Germans needing to avoid defeat to progress as the second-place team in the group.
"We played a phenomenal game," Croatia coach Slaven Bilic said. "We closed the lanes. We attacked them early. We shut them down where they are most dangerous."
"We were dangerous. We managed to control the whole game. They had some chances because Germany is Germany," Bilic said.
Croatia took the lead in the 24th minute after Danijel Pranjic swapped passes with Ivan Rakitic and then sent a cross over for Srna, who slid alongside Germany defender Marcell Jansen and scored past goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
Olic made it 2-0 in the 63rd after a shot from Rakitic on the right flank was deflected by Germany forward Lukas Podolski and bounced off the post right at Olic's feet.
Podolski scored his third goal of the tournament in the 79th by sending a volley after a headed down ball from captain Michael Ballack hit a defender.
Germany were reduced to 10 men in injury time when Bastian Schweinsteiger was given a red card for pushing Croatia substitute Jerko Leko to the ground.
Croatia now have six points and clinched a spot in the knockout round after Austria's 1-1 draw with Poland in Vienna. Germany still have three points.
The Germans beat Poland 2-0 in their opener, and Croatia defeated Austria 1-0.
"We played a very good game," said Luka Modric, who is heading to Tottenham next season. "I think we can do something good at this tournament."
Six minutes after Croatia's first goal, midfielder Niko Krancjar could have made it 2-0 but he blasted his shot over the crossbar from inside the box.
Ballack hit a long-range free kick to force a save from goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa in the 33rd - Germany's first shot at the goal - and central defender Christoph Metzelder headed over the net after a German corner from Torsten Frings.
Lehmann made a 42nd-minute save from Krancjar's left-footed volley on a cross from Modric.
But Lehmann fumbled a long-range effort by Modric early in the second half that nearly trickled inside the post.
"We showed our real face today," Modric said. "We showed that we can play well when we face a big team. We were very motivated."
The Germans never found their vaunted pace and looked out of ideas against a crafty Croatian team that often changed the pace of the game.
"Of course we are disappointed," Germany coach Joachim Loew said. "We were not the same team that played against Poland. We never managed to step up the pace, we did not have the precision in our passes.
"They pulled back after the first goal and we did not really manage them to put them under pressure. We played too many high balls and for them they were easy to deal with. I think it's a deserved loss," Loew added.
Croatia also beat Germany in the World Cup quarter-finals in France in 1998, winning 3-0.
Two years earlier, Germany had won 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the European Championship and went on to win their third title.
Comments
0 comment