DORTMUND, Germany: A Kai Havertz penalty and a Jamal Musiala strike gave Germany a 2-0 win over Denmark as the host nation reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals after a dramatic game that was delayed by almost half an hour in the first half due to a violent storm.
Havertz stroked home from the spot early in the second half in Dortmund following a handball by Joachim Andersen, the unlucky Danish defender who had a goal disallowed at the other end only moments earlier.
Musiala, of Bayern Munich, then ran away to stroke in the second goal midway through the second half as Germany’s class told.
At one point it looked as if the game could be abandoned as English referee Michael Oliver stopped play in the 35th minute of the first half and took the teams off the pitch while a violent storm passed overhead.
Torrential rain, hailstones, high winds, thunder and lightning caused a break in play of 25 minutes before the action could resume.
It made for a memorable night, and one that ended with the host nation coming through a stern test of their credentials to keep alive their dream of winning the trophy in Berlin on July 14.
The path is set to get much tougher from here, however, and Julian Nagelsmann’s team will now go to Stuttgart for a quarter-final next Friday against either much-fancied Spain or surprise package Georgia.
Meanwhile Denmark, who famously beat Germany in the 1992 European Championship final, go home without winning a game — they had qualified from their group with three draws.
Nagelsmann made three changes to the Germany side following their last outing, a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
Nico Schlotterbeck replaced the suspended Jonathan Tah in central defense, David Raum came in at left-back, and Leroy Sane was preferred to Florian Wirtz on the right wing.
Schlotterbeck, of Borussia Dortmund, thought he had given Germany the lead inside four minutes when he headed in a corner in front of the enormous South Stand.
He ran off in celebration, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Joshua Kimmich.
It threatened to become a frustrating night for the home team as they were then thwarted on several occasions by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
He tipped over a rasping drive by Kimmich and turned a Havertz volley around the post as the Danes weathered the early storm.
Another one was coming, and when the action eventually restarted with the pitch now sodden, Germany quickly cranked up the pressure again.
A Raum cross from the left was met by the head of Havertz, but Schmeichel — whose father played in that 1992 final — was once again on hand to make a good save.
The Danes did pose a threat on the break as they attacked toward their own supporters, but Rasmus Hojlund hit the side-netting after catching Schlotterbeck in possession, and then saw Manuel Neuer come out and save at his feet.
The game was interrupted again for the half-time break, before Denmark — and Andersen in particular — were left to rue two VAR interventions at the beginning of the second half.
First, on 48 minutes, Andersen thought he had scored when he fired in as the ball broke to him in the box, but the VAR team told the referee to rule out the goal because of an offside against Thomas Delaney, who had provided the assist.
As soon as play resumed, Germany attacked and a Raum cross deflected off the outstretched hand of Andersen in the area.
The Crystal Palace player’s offense was penalized following another check, and Havertz scored his second penalty of the competition.
Havertz and Sane missed great chances to make it 2-0 before Musiala latched onto a simple ball over the top and ran through to net his third goal of the Euros to become the joint-top scorer alongside Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze.
Wirtz, on from the bench, had a late goal that would have made it 3-0 disallowed for offside, but Germany have momentum and will take some stopping now.

BERLIN: Switzerland dumped reigning champions Italy out of Euro 2024 with a stunning 2-0 victory on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals for the second time in their history.
Murat Yakin’s supremely well-drilled side outplayed the flat two-time winners in the last 16 clash in Berlin and will face England or Slovakia in the next round.
Ruben Vargas teed up Remo Freuler for Switzerland’s 37th minute opener before curling home superbly himself right at the start of the second half to deservedly double their lead.
A new-look Italy, short on star power and without many of the key figures that led them to Euro 2020 glory, offered little in response to Switzerland’s energetic display.
Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, arriving at the Euros after a stunning season with German champions Bayer Leverkusen, pulled the strings as the Swiss rarely looked like letting the lead slip away.
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti dropped Jorginho after his worrying group stage performances, bringing in Nicolo Fagioli in defensive midfield among a hefty six changes which failed to bring the Azzurri to life.
The 23-year-old started a major tournament match for the first time, having missed most of the season with Juventus after a seven-month ban for gambling on football matches.
Italy scraped through the first phase thanks to Mattia Zaccagni’s last-gasp strike in the 1-1 draw with Croatia and Spalletti said his team had no alternative but to improve in the knock-out rounds.
However it was Switzerland who grew in confidence and pulled off their best display yet, making a bright start at the Olympiastadion in a sweltering Berlin, where a far more impressive Italy won the 2006 World Cup.
Former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, now Italy’s delegation head, has been regaling the squad with stories from that triumph but it did not inspire a convincing performance — apart from by his modern day counterpart, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, key in Italy’s Euro 2020 conquest, made a fine save to thwart Breel Embolo midway through the first half as Switzerland created the first real chance by playing him through.
Donnarumma could not stop Freuler from firing Switzerland ahead after 37 minutes when the midfielder controlled Vargas’ low cross and drilled home at the near post.
Switzerland kept the ball for well over a minute in the build-up, stringing together 33 passes before Freuler, who plays for Serie A side Bologna, applied the finishing touch.
Donnarumma produced a fine save to tip Fabian Rieder’s free-kick on to the post before the break as the Swiss sought to equal their best ever Euros performance by reaching the last eight.
Hosts Germany needed a late leveller to avoid defeat against the Swiss in the group phase, while at the previous Euros they knocked out much fancied France in the last 16, so Italy cannot say they were not warned.
Spalletti hooked Stephan El Shaarawy at half-time for Zaccagni, but Italy gave the ball away from the kick-off and Switzerland doubled their lead just 27 seconds into the second period.
Augsburg midfielder Vargas, who started in place of the suspended Silvan Widmer but on the left of the attack, broke into the area and arced a superb curling shot over Donnarumma.
The closest Italy came to scoring in the first hour was when Swiss defender Fabian Schar misjudged a header and hit the frame of his own goal.
Substitute Mateo Retegui produced Italy’s first shot on target as the clock ticked down and the near-invisible Gianluca Scamacca hit the post from close range, but appeared to be offside.
The sides drew twice in World Cup 2022 qualification with the Azzurri failing to make the tournament but went one better in Germany, securing their first win against Italy since 1993, after 11 without victory.