The current side have shed their long-held reputation for sober reliability to become the fun team of the tournament
“‘The tournament can begin,” as Toni Kroos drily observed. And certainly after the disappointment against France on Tuesday night it was impossible to watch Germany’s breezy, brassy win over Portugal on Saturday without wondering whether it might just be the start of something: a stirring, an awakening, a team and a system and perhaps even an idea twitching belatedly to life.
As the goals piled up, as Germany’s flying wing-backs sliced and shredded the defending champions – Rúben Dias, Pepe and all – on their way to a 4-2 triumph, the temptation was to declare that this was a film we had all seen before. Right on cue, and with perfect timing, The Germans (and for some reason it always is The Germans, never just Germany) have finally turned up. The Germans are coming. Never, ever write off The Germans.
