DPA
Celle (Germany)
Denmark striker Jonas Wind, who plays at Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, is looking forward to the Euro 2024 last 16 clash against Germany on Saturday in Dortmund.
“It’s 100% special. It will be great to play against the host nation and hopefully be able to bother them a little,” he said on Thursday.
Germany and Denmark will meet in a rematch of the Euro 1992 final, which was won by the Danes.
Wind has been playing for Wolfsburg since 2022 and doesn’t have good memories from Dortmund, where he has so far suffered 6-1, 6-0 and 1-0 defeats to home club Borussia Dortmund.
“We shouldn’t talk too much about the experiences I had in that stadium, that’s not my best statistic,” Wind said.
Decision Rüdiger shortly before the game
A decision on whether Germany defender Antonio Rüdiger will play the Euro 2024 last 16 match against Denmark will be made “shortly before the game” on Saturday.
The German Football Federation (DFB) said on Thursday that Rüdiger was still in recovery training after suffering a right thigh muscle strain in the final group match against Switzerland.
Rüdiger is being treated several times a day by the team’s medical staff and was unable to take part in the team training session on Thursday at Germany’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach.
However, the Real Madrid centre back has taken “the next step” towards recovery, the DFB said.
If Rüdiger is not fit for the match, coach Julian Nagelsmann will have to rebuild his entire central defence because Rüdiger’s partner Jonathan Tah is suspended after receiving a second yellow card.
This could force Nagelsmann to field back-ups Nico Schlotterbeck and Waldemar Anton, who have just 15 caps between them and have never played together.
Schlotterbeck said in a news conference that he hopes Rüdiger is able to play and said the biggest issue could be the emotional side.
“I’ve also had the injury before, it’s not easy to get it out of your head. I hope he makes it, but we’ll just have to wait until Saturday,” he said.
