Date: June 12, 2016
Result: Germany 2 Ukraine 0
Scorers:
Germany: Mustafi 19, Schweinsteiger 90
Ukraine: none
Venue: Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
Match overview:
Germany opened with a 2-0 win in Lille but were far from convincing in defence without the injured Mats Hummels. His replacement, Shkodran Mustafi, scored Germany’s opening goal but was also part of a German defence that wobbled under pressure from Ukraine’s wide men in the first half. An acrobatic goal-line clearance from Jerome Boateng and some fine saves from Manuel Neuer denied Ukraine an equaliser but Germany were more comfortable in the second half when substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger added the second goal when he finished a blistering German counter-attack in injury time with virtually the last kick of the game.
Key moment:
Jerome Boateng’s acrobatic clearance off the line to deny Yevhen Konoplyanka, with half-time approaching and just as it looked as if Ukraine would take advantage of German uncertainties in defence. Boateng, rather than the ball, ended up in the back of the net and Ukraine then had a goal disallowed for offside as Germany limped into the break, lucky to be ahead.
Man of the match:
Toni Kroos delivered the free-kick from which Shkodran Mustafi scored Germany’s opening goal and then led the counter-attack which ended in Bastian Schweinsteiger scoring the second in the final seconds.
Matter of fact:
Ten of Germany’s starting line-up played at the 2014 World Cup.
Talking point:
A tale of two Marios and a Shkodran. Germany started with Mario Gotze, instead of Mario Gomez, giving them more mobility in attack, but their opening goal came from an unlikely source in one-time Everton reject Shkodran Mustafi, who recorded his first international goal with a powerful header from Kroos’ free-kick.
Stats:
Goal attempts
Germany: 18
Ukraine: 7
Attempts on target
Germany: 5
Ukraine: 2
Corners
Germany: 6
Ukraine: 12
Line-ups:
Germany
01 Manuel Neuer
02 Shkrodran Mustafi
03 Jonas Hector
04 Benedikt Howedes
06 Sami Khedira
08 Mesut Ozil
11 Julian Draxler (09 Andre Schurrle 78)
13 Thomas Muller
17 Jerome Boateng
18 Toni Kroos
19 Mario Goetze (07 Bastian Schweinsteiger 90)
Starting formation: 4-2-3-1
Neuer – Howedes, Boateng, Mustafi, Hector – Khedira, Kroos – Muller, Ozil, Draxler – Gotze
Ukraine
12 Andriy Pyatov
03 Yevhen Khacheridi
06 Tamas Stepanenko
07 Andriy Yarmolenko
08 Roman Zozulya (11 Yevhen Seleznyov 66)
09 Viktor Kovalenko (21 Olexandr Zinchenko 73)
10 Yevhen Konoplyanka
13 Vyacheslav Shevchuk
16 Serhiy Sydorchuk
17 Artem Fedetskiy
20 Yaroslav Rakitskiy
Starting formation: 4-2-3-1
Pyatov – Fedetskiy, Khacheridi, Rakitskiy, Shevchuk – Sydorchuk, Stepanenko – Yarmolenko, Kovalenko, Konoplyanka – Zozulya
Yellow cards:
Germany:
Ukraine: Konoplyanka 68
Referee: Martin Atkinson (Eng)
