Match Awards from Germany’s triumphant win over Denmark
Match Awards from Germany’s triumphant win over Denmark
Germany pushed out yet another win over a competing side, and showed their best efforts in doing so.
Jersey Swap: Andreas Christensen
The FC Barcelona star was the best defender on the pitch for Denmark today, and in fact won more duels than any player at all today. The Danish center-back doubled his work rate today and it showed. Having played 81 minutes, and pretty much the entire game, Christensen was a problem for Germany’s attackers and had it not been for some incredible plays by the Germans, Christensen may have had the perfect game at defense today.
Der Kaiser: Antonio Rüdiger
UEFA’s Man of the Match, Rüdiger played an incredible game today. His defensive playing style, as usual, was aggressive and never let the Danish attackers go far enough to have a clear shot at goal. There were moments that allowed them to get close, due to momentary lapses in the defense, but overall, Rüdiger was great for Germany and deserves this award.
Fußballgott: Toni Kroos
After being constantly shut down and neutralized the last two games, Kroos finally found himself again today. His passes were on point again, and while the game did not totally pivot around his performance, he did indeed make a large impact. As per usual, Kroos completed the most passes this game, and even created the most number of chances. The retiring star did so much for Germany, and it’s clear to see why he is so important.
Der Bomber: Kai Havertz
If Havertz saw his name in the awards page and NOT being heckled, he would be shocked, too. But Havertz deserves this today. It looked like the Arsenal striker was on the path of redemption and did everything he could to score a goal. Although he missed a few chances that were pretty much guaranteed goals, Havertz did all he could for the squad today, and for a chance, Niclas Füllkrug didn’t turn up as he normally does. If Kai can keep this up, maybe the forward line is not as doomed as we all thought it was.
Meister of the Match: Nico Schlotterbeck
No one deserves this award as much as Borussia Dortmund’s defender. Schlotterbeck did indeed make one or two errors that could have cost Germany a LOT, but he immediately recovered from it and corrected his mistakes. Julian Nagelsmann started Schlotterbeck to replace a suspended Jonathan Tah, but after today, it looks like Schlotterbeck should be the regular starter from now on. His defensive plays were perfect for Germany, and there is no one better for the job. Schlotterbeck was simply superior today and it showed. His assist and his contribution toward creating chances are exactly what Germany needs in the rounds coming up.
What did you think of our award selection? Who else deserves a shout? Let us know in the comments below!
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Germany’s 2-0 victory over Denmark? Good, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show where we cover the starting lineup selection, a rundown of the scoring and substitutions, and takes on how it all played out. You can get the podcast on Spotify or below: