Germany defeated Denmark and sailed through Quarter Final

Monday, June 18, 2012 Report by Mainak Chakraborty

Joachim Low’s team stormed through to the last eight as the only nation in Poland and Ukraine with a 100 per cent group record. The Germans will now play Friday's quarter-final against Group A runners-up Greece in Gdansk, their Euro 2012 base, while Portugal will play the Group A winners the Czech Republic in Warsaw on Thursday.

Lukas Podolski, who was making his 100th appearance for Germany, celebrated his century with the opening goal on 19 minutes which was cancelled out by a Michael Krohn-Dehli just five minutes later before Bender's late winner. The Germans held the lead for five minutes before Bendtner headed back from a corner and Krohn-Dehli, who also scored in the Danes' shock 1-0 win over Holland, got his head to the ball before the German defence.

It was 1-1 at the break, but midfielder Jakub Poulson, in for hamstring injury-victim Rommedahl, clipped the post with his shot on 51 minutes.

The game's tempo dropped noticeably in the second-half with Germany's midfield star Mesut Ozil looking flat as the Danish defenders constantly thwarted the Germans.

Podolski was brought off with 25 minutes left as Leverkusen's Andre Schuerrle was given his chance and he soon tested Andersen with a shot.

With ten minutes to go, Germany counter-attacked at pace and Ozil squared for the grateful Bender to score his first international goal and the right-back calmly slotted past Andersen to seal victory.