Germany begins the European Championship as it finished the last World Cup: by winning. Joachim Loew's men beat Ukraine 2-0 in their opening match on Sunday evening with goals from Mustafi in the first half and Schweinsteiger after the 90th minute.
However, the match was much less simple than the result suggests: only a great Neuer and a miraculous save on the line by Boateng (who actually risked an own goal) prevented the Ukrainians from equalizing in the first half.
Germany, well orchestrated by the two central 'mids' Khedira and Kroos (man of the match), was perhaps wrong in not closing the match earlier, because after Mustafi's 1-0 in the 19th minute, obtained with a with a header from a free-kick perfectly hit by Kroos and on which Sydorchuk slept while marking, she began to mirror herself, without sinking in with conviction.
Ukraine played well, but paid the price for their lack of effectiveness up front, with Zozulya appearing too isolated. The vice-coach Shevchenko waved his arms off the bench: today the Ukrainian team would have needed a striker like him.
