FRANKFURT – Midfielder Toni Kroos believes Germany will “play a good tournament” at Euro 2024, after an 85th-minute header from Niclas Fullkrug sent the hosts past the Netherlands 2-1 in a friendly in Frankfurt on March 26.
Brought on with 17 minutes remaining, the Borussia Dortmund striker leapt highest to head in a Kroos corner, with goal-line technology confirming the ball had crossed the line.
Germany were forced to come from behind in the match, conceding after just four minutes, with Joey Veerman taking advantage of sloppy defending from Maximilian Mittelstadt to give the Dutch the lead.
Mittelstadt made up for his mistake shortly after, unleashing a strike from outside the box to level the score.
Germany’s second-straight win continues their recent uptick in form less than three months from hosting Euro 2024.
Kroos, who retired from international duty in 2021 but reversed his decision in February, told broadcaster RTL that “I’m convinced we’ll play a good tournament”.
“I’m proud of the team. We came out of a difficult time. We have momentum and belief back, even if we didn’t start the game well,” the 34-year-old said.
“A couple of months ago we may have fallen in a heap, but that didn’t happen. We’ve played two very good friendlies – it’s just a shame we won’t get any points (at the Euro) for that.”
Germany came into the match buoyed by a convincing 2-0 win over France on March 23 after a disappointing 2023 in which they won just three of 11 matches.
World Cup winner Philipp Lahm, who is tournament director for Euro 2024, said that the promising performance against Les Bleus brought back “euphoria in our country” because the “German national team played football well and played football passionately”.
“We had an established midfield and of course very, very young, dynamic, attacking players. And of course that brings self-confidence,” he said.
Lahm played every minute in Germany’s run to third place as hosts of the 2006 World Cup before leading the side to victory in Brazil eight years later.
As captain of the last world-beating German team, he understands how complex the process of developing a top team can be – and that talent may not be enough.
“Super-talented players like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are still young, but have a lot of experience,” he added.
“They certainly have the talent to raise the German national team to another level, but it’s important everything fits together, that the pieces of the puzzle fit together – and that was certainly the case in 2014.” AFP, REUTERS
