England faced the ire of some of its own fans following a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Iceland in their final friendly match before the European Championship. Meanwhile, host nation Germany staged a late comeback to clinch a narrow 2-1 victory over Greece.
Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson’s goal in the 16th minute left England stunned, evoking memories of their humiliating exit from Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland. Despite creating few clear-cut chances, England struggled to break down Iceland’s defense and narrowly avoided conceding a second goal.
England’s manager Gareth Southgate acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, stating, “We had some very, very good chances that normally would be finished, which could’ve given a different complexion to the game.” He emphasized the need for a focused approach and highlighted areas for improvement ahead of their tournament opener against Serbia on June 16.
In contrast, Germany required a late goal from substitute Pascal Gross to secure a hard-fought victory against Greece. Georgios Masouras gave Greece the lead before Kai Havertz equalized for Germany. Gross’s 89th-minute strike sealed the win for the German side, despite a lackluster first-half performance.
The match highlighted Germany’s inconsistent form in recent times, with wins against strong opponents like France and the Netherlands tempered by losses to Japan, Turkey, and Austria within the last year.
Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer faced criticism for an error leading to Greece’s goal, raising questions about his role in the team. Coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed the exclusion of Alexander Nübel from the squad, reaffirming Neuer as the first-choice goalkeeper for Euro 2024.
Elsewhere, Poland secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Ukraine, while Scotland settled for a 2-2 draw against Finland after squandering a two-goal lead. Romania’s goalless draw against Liechtenstein and the Czech Republic’s dominant 7-1 win over Malta were among other notable results in the warm-up matches.
