Germany v Denmark: Women’s Euro 2022 – live!

25 min: Harder gives away a foul as she tracks back and trips an opponent in frustration. Denmark need to have a think about how to deal with the Germany threat on the right. Huth plays in Schüller with a delightful through ball after some good build up play. She cuts the ball back into the six yard box where a panicked St Pedersen hoofs out for a corner. The corner is cleared but back Germany come.

22 min: The Danes haven’t been able to cope with Germany’s intensity. They’ve also been so sloppy in possession.

Goal! Germany 1-0 Denmark (Magull 20)

18 min: Huth shows Veje a clean pair of heels again and whips a vicious cross in to the six-yard box. It’s ever so slightly behind Magull, who contorts her body to try and get a volley on goal, but the ball rather bounces off her thigh and into the arms of the diving Christensen, who is Denmark’s busiest player by some distance.

17 min: I’m not sure wing-backs is working for Denmark here. Huth is getting acres of space on the right, as she sits in the pocket between Svava and Veje. It would also help if Denmark could keep hold of possession but they can’t. They’re treating the ball like a hot potato.

15 min: A Germany corner is held brilliantly by Christensen, who leaps above a crowd of at least eight players to claim.

12 min: … only for Bühl to retrieve it and lay the ball off to Rauch, WHO HITS THE BAR AGAIN! This time the left-back smashes the shot at goal from 25 yards out. It takes a slight deflection on its way through I think. The rebound is headed against the post by Schüller, but she was offside. Germany are well on top.

11 min: Germany passing the ball around very nicely here and Denmark are unsure when to press. Huth gets her dancing feet going on the right and whips a delicious ball in that Denmark hook clear …

9 min: Rauch smashes the ball against the bar! The ball is cut back to the edge of the box, where the Germany left-back is lurking. Her eyes light up as she crashes a shot at the top corner that cannons against the corner of post and upright. The ball arrives at the feet of Dabritz, who drags wide. She was offside anyway. Germany are on top here.

7 min: Thomsen is clattered by Bühl, who looks well up for this. The Dane is soon back up on her feet and tormenting Gwinn over on the right. She sits the Germany full-back down with a sharp turn inside and then picks out Madsen, who glances a difficult headed chance wide.

6 min: After a nervy start, Germany are suddenly looking confident on the ball. Huth chases down a long diagonal and picks the pocket of Veje, who had got to the ball first. She races to the byline and pulls a cross back to Bühl, who does well to direct a header just over the bar. She had to really twist her neck to get to that.

4 min: Huth zips up the right wing and lofts a cross into the near post but Denmark goalkeeper Christensen is out on it like a flash and gathers comfortably.

2 min: It’s a sharp start from the Danes. Harder shows her skills early on with a swift turn before slipping in Madsen on the edge of the box. She tries to pop the ball in behind the Germany defence to Bruun, but Hegering is alert to the danger and steps in to pick up possession.

Kick-off!

There’s a decent crowd at Brentford but I’m betting that it’s below that of the earlier Group B game. The Denmark anthem is belted out by players and fans alike. Denmark has two anthems and this one is the civil one I believe: “There is a lovely land”. Then Germany, who have only one, give a rousing rendition of “Das Deutschlandlied”. I’d argue that was louder in the stands, too, so perhaps Germany have the better support. Time for kick off!

It’s not long until kick-off now. The two teams are led out by their captains. Germany skipper Svenja Huth has her poker face on as she takes her side out. And Pernille Harder looks cool and collected as she strides out with her Denmark side in tow. Both captains are clever forwards with bags of experience and bundles of silverware. The game may well be decided by one of them.

Germany were knocked out by Denmark in the 2017 quarter-finals, so revenge may well be in the air in west London. Here’s how that one went down five years ago:

A bit of breaking news from the England camp. I really hope Covid doesn’t sink its teeth into this tournament.

“Do you know what beers are being served at the concession stands,” asks Peter Oh. “If Carlsberg is available but not Paulaner, the Danes will undoubtedly enjoy a massive psychological advantage!” Given the Fuller’s brewery is just round the corner, I’m guessing they’re keeping it neutral.

Another Women’s European Championship record was broken earlier, with Spain v Finland attracting 16,819 fans, the highest-ever attendance for a group-stage game not involving a host. Can Germany v Denmark break that? Brentford’s capacity is over 17,000, so it is big enough to see that record fall very quickly.

Spain lay down a Group B marker with their 4-1 defeat of Finland. Here’s what our Spanish football correspondent Sid Lowe, in Milton Keynes (we don’t get to write that much), made of the match:

The Finland coach Anna Signeul had warned that Spain have a lot of Alexia Putellas on their team, which might have been pushing it a bit, but they can certainly play, that’s for sure. Cruelly denied the chance to grace this stage by a torn cruciate ligament suffered just 48 hours before it all began, the world’s best footballer sat in the stands, crutches at her side, and watched her team mates give a demonstration of their art with a 4-1 victory over Siegneul’s side in Milton Keynes.

Team news

I’m not sure which team will pull in the biggest following at Brentford this evening but Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg will be hoping it’s them. She believes that some of her less experienced players struggled with the atmosphere in the 3-1 defeat by England at Molineux in February. Here’s what she had to say:

It is actually quite difficult to prepare the players for it. We saw that at the preparation tournament, the Arnold Clark Cup, when there were suddenly thousands of fans in the stadium against England and they made a huge noise – that did something to some of our younger players. There was no longer the same belief, the same certainty there. But the only way is to gain that experience.

And as if by magic, here’s your photo of Thomas Frank with Denmark fans at Brentford. Now I’d like to see Christian Eriksen and Jan Molby. Oh, and the Laudrup brothers, Sofie Gråbøl from The Killing and Brigitte Nielsen, too. Or maybe that’s asking too much?

It’s still a baking hot 27c in London so conditions will be sticky when the match kicks off. The players are already at the futuristic-looking Brentford Community Stadium, where Karen Holmgaard and Pernille Harder have led the Denmark players out to inspect the pitch. There couldn’t be a better place for the Danes to play, given Brentford’s links with their home nation. Perhaps Bees boss Thomas Frank will be in attendance to cheer on his nation tonight. He likes leading a singalong so he’ll be perfect for getting the atmosphere going.

In the other Group B match, tournament favourites Spain have swept Finland aside. After going 1-0 behind early on, they roared back and a Caldentey penalty in injury time gave the scoreline a little gloss. Sarah Rendell was watching that one. You can join her for reaction here before checking back in with me.

Preamble