Pinch yourself again, England fans, just to make sure it actually happened.
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The Three Lions won a knockout game in the European Championships … and they did it against Germany.
Gareth Southgate’s men gave a big account of themselves for 90 minutes, which limited their opponents’ attack threats to a relative minimum and scored two well-worked goals to seal a 2-0 victory and a place in the final eight and a date with Ukraine.
That sounds good, right?
When a team wins, it still loses.
Germany will look back on some great opportunities – especially Thomas Muller’s one-on-one with Jordan Pickford – as moments that could (and should) have changed the game. But for Die Mannschaft, their hopes are to add to their former glories over another year.
So what did German players and coach Joachim Low have to say about Tuesday’s Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium?
“That was it, the only moment that sticks in your mind and keeps you awake at night,” Muller said on Instagram about his missed one-on-one, with the score still 1-0.
“The kind of moment you work for, train for, live for. The moment when it falls to you to get your team back on equal terms in a close knockout game and send an entire football nation into ecstasy.
“Getting this opportunity and then wasting it hurts in hell. It hurts to think of the whole team, my teammates and our coach, who all trust me to be there and deliver at that very moment.
“But most of all, it hurts because of all the German fans out there who stood by us and supported us throughout this tournament, despite the difficult circumstances.”
“We continued to create chances after we let in, but did not take them. It was a bitter night. But we are all in the same boat and we are one unit,” said Havertz – whose volley was saved by Pickford.
“England do not have a bad team. If you make it to the last 16, it will of course be a disappointment, but now we have to move on.”
Not to be / Marc Atkins / Getty Images
“It’s a big disappointment for all of us. The faith in this team was absolutely there. But in games like this, it’s crucial to consistently take advantage of the few chances you have,” said Low, quoted by Tz.
“When things like Thomas Müller’s chance happens, you just have to accept it. He normally scores a goal in such a situation. Today we needed that goal, but I can not blame anyone.
“I think some of our players will still develop. We have many young players. They will learn from this. At the European Championships 2024 at home, some will be at an absolute top level.”
Heartbreak / Frank Augstein – Pool / Getty Images
“After the last whistle, I looked at the coach’s bench and it’s obviously a sad feeling when I saw Jogi,” Neuer told ARD.
“He is a good guy and a great person and has achieved so much with us as a coach. It’s damn sad that the era ends like this.
“Former players owe him a lot and he shaped that era. That hurts. “
Hummels wrote on Instagram: “So it is. The European Championships are over for us and I am sitting here on the bus and do not want to admit it. I can not really gather my thoughts either, but I feel I have to write what is happening inside me.
“A disappointment is huge for all of us. In the end, we only won one of four matches and then went home deservedly in some way. On the other hand, I have seen how much we have invested in recent weeks, not only individually. But also as a group.
“I had a lot of fun being with the national team again and I thought we had what it takes to win this tournament. It sounds very strange with our defeat today, I am of course aware of that.
“At this time I will end the text at the moment, it is always difficult to understand these thoughts as soon as after leaving …”
Chelsea’s Champions League winner Timo Werner was magnificent on social media, writing: “Even the day after, elimination still hurts and it is difficult to classify this defeat. We gave everything, but we must admit that something was missing to get through against England.
“Thank you for your fantastic support over the last few weeks! We will be back!
“And congratulations to England.”
