Pascal Gross Rescues Germany With Last-Gasp Winner Against Greece

An 89th-minute winner from Pascal Gross snatched Euro 2024 hosts Germany a 2-1 win against Greece in a friendly in Moenchengladbach on Friday, one week out from the tournament's curtain-raiser. Brighton midfielder Gross blasted a rocket past German-born Greece goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos in the final minute to win the match for the home side, after Kai Havertz earlier cancelled out Georgios Masouras' opener. Despite coach Julian Nagelsmann naming his strongest XI, Germany lacked fluidity against the 2004 Euros winners, who did not qualify for this summer's tournament, having lost a play-off qualifier to Georgia on penalties.

Toni Kroos, who returned having won the Champions League with Real Madrid six days ago, said Germany was on track despite the result. 

"In football you can play bad halves -- but it's important to see the full picture. 

"In the first half we did plenty of things poorly and gave the ball away. But we finished the match much better, we concentrated and controlled the ball.

"It's important to be calm and also to not make mistakes. We lost the ball and misplaced some passes, but did much better in the second-half." 

Nagelsmann praise his side for "showing much more spice" in the second-half, saying "the win is important for the atmosphere before the tournament -- you could recognise that in the stadium".

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was at fault for Masouras' 33rd-minute opening strike, clumsily spilling the ball in front of goal having previously gone unpunished for a late error in Monday's scoreless draw with Ukraine.

Ter Stegen waiting in the wings

The mistake calls into question Nagelsmann's pre-tournament promise that the 2014 World Cup winner would line up between the sticks, with