Lightning and thunder but VAR causes real storm as Germany see off Danes in wild win

The shuddering explosion of thunder and crashing lightning which interrupted this last 16 night gave a terrific contest the backdrop it was working towards. Germany and Denmark looked to be on the way to serving up a Euro 2024 epic.

Instead, technology moved meteorology to one side and decided things in the hosts’ favour with two of the most infuriating examples of how microscopic the game’s laws have become, how the imperceptible acts have now become decisive and how much it dampens even the most gripping of contests.

Germany move onwards to a quarter-final against Spain or Georgia, the country’s first knockout victory for eight years chalked up on a night when the Westfalenstadion rocked and shook for Julian Nagelsmann’s side. But for the unfortunate Danes and for the neutrals this was all a little unpalatable. The sour taste may be Germany’s some day, perhaps soon, because the laws that too often now spoil top-level football don’t spare many.

They certainly didn’t spare Joachim Andersen who’d thought he’d given the Danes a lead three minutes into the second half after a weather-interrupted first half had lasted 70 minutes. The Crystal Palace defender scrambled the ball past Manuel Neuer from close range but VAR came to Germany’s rescue, Thomas Delaney ruled to have been offside by a toenail. Had he clipped them Saturday morning, the goal would have been good. And Germany would have been in trouble.

Instead four minutes later Andersen was in trouble, a handball which no German inside here or around this land spotted or called for was awarded after Michael Oliver was sent to the VAR screens. The snickometer and sensor embedded in the ball was decisive in the call. What a sentence that is. Kai Havertz slotted past Kasper Schmeichel and the goalkeeper who’d made a string of great saves was finally beaten.

None of this felt good. A small mercy was that a second goal followed, Schmeichel this time badly at fault as Jamal Musiala raced on to a Nico Schlotterback punt on 68 minutes and the Danish keeper froze for a second. Schmeichel opted to go back on his line but it was a fatal error and Musiala finished with a flourish.

Lots of other things happened. This was a game of many chances and some divine interventions — on and off the pitch. Yet the interventions of a technology which has become much, much too picky and interfering, on a night like this infuriating, will be remembered most.

Even if Germany go all the way in their own Euros we shall still call this the VAR game. Can they go all the way? Making three changes, Nagelsmann’s side started so brightly but wobbled before the storm. They wobbled after it too but weathered plenty here too. It can stand to them. Maybe they’ll feel the gods really are on their side.

Whatever about a nearly 30-year-old song which will be boomed out 35km in Gelsenkirchen Sunday night, football was coming home here Saturday night. We just didn’t yet know the bang it would come with. Dortmund establishes its credentials within 50 metres of your arrival, the Deutsches Fussballmuseum towering down over the platz outside the city’s central train station.

On the traipse up through town there were further reminders written on the walls, some official, some guerrilla art. Dortmund sees itself as the spiritual heart of German football and the museum is a natural fit. Much as Nagelsmann and his side have shown belated promise and then delivered both a stunning opening day win and a rapid qualification to the knockout stage, confidence was not overflowing as steins of beer and wine glasses were refilled early and often on a hot and humid Samstag, which would break so spectacularly.

How much space the museum should set aside for this German generation remained a huge unknown. This last 16 tie could tell us exactly how much — not much at all — or hint that they may just end up taking a whole wing. Eight years have passed since this nation which once would coast to the business end of tournaments without a moment’s stress, had won a knockout game.

Denmark’s role in it all was to turn up, don horns, lock them but then fade off into the distance, something this largely aging side has suggested is close. If it were all so simple we wouldn’t need the nerve settlers in the first place. Denmark had made the semi-finals of the last Euros and are ranked 21st in the world but they haven’t won a single one of their is major tournament games since with goals in desperately short supply.

Within two minutes we thought we had our first goal and there was little surprise that it was German. Nico Schlotterbeck rose unchallenged to nod in a Kroos corner but Oliver spotted why he was unchallenged, Andreas Skov Olsen screens off by Joshua Kimmich.

The noise died down but only briefly. The first 20 minutes saw Germany stack up the chances yet the scoreboard remained untouched. Toni Rudiger quarterbacked one to Havertz which Schmeichel saved, the keeper being kept busy by Kimmich and Schlotterbeck either side of that chance.

But as the clouds darkened the Danes brightened. The next two openings were both theirs and arguably should have resulted in a shock lead. Eriksen controlled a long punt masterfully and was clear until Rudiger remarkably got back to block. Joakim Maehle was then found on the side of the six-yard box and ought to have done better. It was all very open, fluid and a little flawed. But it was fun too.

Then came the almighty crash of thunder, the deluge and the delays. When we resumed you suspected it may slow down a bit. Wrong, it picked up all over again. Havertz bulleted a header right at Schmiechel. At the other end Schlotterbeck dawdled and was caught but Hjolund only found side-netting. A striker dreadfully out of form, he had arguably the half’s best chance right before the planned interval when Thomas Delaney broke and slipped him in. A heavy touch game Manuel Neuer a chance and that was enough. Seventy minutes after we started, it was half time and scoreless, the latter stat more perplexing than the first.

The goals, we know now, would come. We know how they came too. The Danes never recovered, and you couldn’t blame them. There could have been more than two, substitute Florian Wirtz seeing a late third chalked off. Schmeichel denied Havertz one last time for good measure.

Good measures won’t fill the memory banks from the great storm of Westfalenstadion though. Instead, it’ll be the microscopic ones. What a shame.

Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer 8; Kimmich 6, Rudiger 8, Schlotterbeck 7, Raum 6 (Henrichs 81); Andrich 6 (Can 64), Kroos 7; Sane 7 (Anton 88), Gundogan 7 (Fullkrug 68), Musiala 7 (Wirtz 81); Havertz 7.

Goals: Havertz (53, pen); Musiala (68).

Booked: Nagelsmann.

Denmark (3-4-2-1): Schmeichel 7; Anderson 7, Christensen 6 (Larsen 81), Vestergaard 6; Bah 5 (Kristiansen 81), Delaney 6 (Nørgaard 69), Højbjerg 6, Maehle 5, Olsen 6 (Poulsen 69), Eriksen 6; Hojlund 5 (Wind 81).

Booked: Maehle, Bah, Andersen.

Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG) 4