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Germany could only manage a 1-1 draw against Denmark in their first friendly fixture ahead of the EURO 2020. Two Bundesliga players in Florian Neuhaus and Yussuf Poulsen found the back of the net for Die Mannschaft and Denmark respectively.
The Danes started the game well but by the half-time whistle, Germany had started to find their flow. Serge Gnabry almost opened the scoring for them when his thunderous strike hit the woodwork in the 42nd minute.
The Germans picked up right where they left off and took the lead soon after the restart as a cross from Robin Gosens created problems for the Denmark defense. The ball fell kindly for Neuhaus and the Borussia Monchengladbach star converted from close range in the 47th minute.
Conceding the goal got the Danes up and running as they started to create more chances in the final third. Germany fought off any advances confidently. Christian Eriksen's incredible pass to Poulsen helped Denmark score and equalize from their only shot on target in the 71st minute.
Joshua Kimmich hit the woodwork six minutes later and that was the last clear chance of the game, as both sides put in impressive defensive efforts in this warm-up game for the EURO 2020.
With the teams sharing the spoils in this friendly encounter, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
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#5 The German backline needs some pace
Joachim Löw opted for a three-man defense tonight. It worked well against most of the counter-attacking play from the Danes. However, one aspect where the three defenders were caught out on was pace.
While Mats Hummels, Niklas Süle and Matthias Ginter are all great centre-backs, they are not the fastest players in the team. Eriksen's pass to Paulsen was inch-perfect but the RB Leipzig striker was also able to beat Hummels for pace.
A back four might be the best option for the team as it promotes solidarity at the back and is a system that has worked wonders for the team before.
#4 Germany wasted too many chances
Germany were unlucky to have been denied twice by the woodwork tonight. They could only score one goal in the game despite attempting no less than 16 shots. Only five of them were on target as the forwards failed to convert inviting passes on a couple of occasions.
There is a lot of talent at the disposal of Löw if the team is to make it past the tricky Group F. With the likes of France and Portugal being the two sides to worry about, they will have to make their chances count.
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#3 Denmark prove to be a tricky opponent for Germany
Denmark's display against Germany tonight was a testament to their ability to be one of the surprise dark horses in EURO 2020. They were, for the most part, the second-best team on the pitch. However, the Danes only needed one shot on target to score the equalizing goal. The goal came against the run of play created by Eriksen and scored by Poulsen.
They have a great squad at the moment and though the players might not be household names, they bring a lot of experience to the table.
#2 Florian Neuhaus takes the centre stage with his second goal for Germany
Florian Neuhaus had a decent season with Monchengladbach. He reached double-digits in goal involvement for the club, with six goals and five assists. Neuhaus continued that form with the national team as well and scored Germany's only goal tonight.
The young midfielder has made just three starts for the 2014 World Cup winners but is one of the first names on the team sheet. While his passing ability didn't come in handy tonight, his awareness helped him. He was in the right place and at the right time to score an opportunistic goal from close range.
The player has already scored two goals in three starts for Germany and could be a wild card for them in the EURO 2020 tournament.
#1 Thomas Muller and Mat Hummels' return was not enough to deliver a win for the Germans
Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels were put straight into action by Löw as the duo made their first appearance for the national side in over two years. While the inclusion of the experienced duo was a boost for Germany, they had to be content with a draw in their return to international duty.
Muller had a decent game and was a key player in the middle of the pitch. As always, he did more work off the ball than when he had possession. Hummels had a moment to forget in the second half as Poulsen sprinted past him to score the equalizing goal for Denmark.
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