Denmark 1-1 Germany

Denmark 1-1 Germany
(Eriksen 18‘ – Kimmich 88‘)

Joshua Kimmich’s acrobatic late strike salvaged a draw for an experimental Germany side against Denmark in Brondby.

Löw handed full international debuts to Paris Saint-Germain’s Kevin Trapp, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Lars Stindl and Hoffenheim’s Sandro Wagner. Amin Younes and Kerem Demirbay, Marvin Plattenhardt also featured as substitutes as Löw tested a clutch of new players ahead of the Confederations Cup, which kicks off in St. Petersburg next week.

Germany struggled to establish any kind of fluency against a young and well-drilled Denmark team that featured some familiar faces from the Bundesliga, including Yussuf Poulsen, Jannik Vestergaard, and Thomas Delaney.

But it was one of their more experienced players that broke the deadlock. Tottenham Hotspur’s Eriksen lashed in the opener on 18 minutes after Antonio Rüdiger hesitated after a poor pass from Matthias Ginter, and Rüdiger suceeded only in heading straight ot Eriksen, whose first time shot fizzed beyond Trapp in the Germany goal.

Germany, captained by Julian Draxler, came close to equalizing moments later when Kimmich, one of the few Germany regulars fielded by Löw, nodded back a deep cross to an outstretched Wagner. The striker couldn’t get his foot on the ball, with Vestergaard in close attention.

Germany went close when Leon Goretzka’s dipping shot from distance was tipped over the top by Denmark goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow, but Denmark were rarely troubled in the first half by a Germany side that struggled to carve out any clear cut openings.

Poulsen almost made it 2-0 when he reached Martin Braithwaite’s cross from the left, but Jonas Hector did just enough to put Poulsen off, and Trapp was able to tip the ball onto the bar before scrambling it away.

With the game seemingly drifting towards Germany’s first defeat since losing to France at last summer’s European Championship, Kimmich pounced to extend that unbeaten run. The ball popped up to the Bayern Munich man, whose brilliantly executed overhead kick arrowed past Ronnow.

Denmark, who also handed a debut to Cologne’s Frederik Sorensen, shaded the contest but Löw will have learned a few things about his new recruits before Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against San Marino - and the more testing task of the Confederations Cup.

As it happened: