The German centre-back’s mistake marked the third time a ball has been directed into the wrong net in the opening week of the competition
Germany centre-back Mats Hummels became the third player to score an own goal at Euro 2020 when he turned the ball into the wrong net in the first half of their 1-0 defeat to France on Tuesday, equalling the record for an entire Euopean Championship tournament.
Poland’s Wojciech Szczesny and Turkey’s Merih Demiral had already scored own goals in the group stage – the latter inadvertently netting the first goal of Euro 2020 in the opening match – before Hummels’ error in the first half of the match in Munich.
Euro 2016 also featured three self-inflicted wounds, but this year’s competition now has plenty of time remaining to pass that tally as only 12 games have been played to this point.
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Rare German mistake
The own goal on Tuesday was the first from Germany at a major tournament since 1978, when Berti Vogts erred at the World Cup against Austria.
For Hummels, it was his second own goal in the national team’s jersey. He also put the ball past team-mate Manuel Neuer in 2015 in European Championship qualification against Scotland.
No blame for Hummels
“No reproach to Mats for the own goal,” said Germany head coach Joachim Low to ZDF after the game. “It was difficult for him to clear.
“It was a brutally intense game. We fought until the end. I can’t blame the team, we gave it everything we had. What was missing was a bit of penetrating power in the final third. We didn’t do enough there.”
Midfielder Toni Kroos said to ARD: “We did a lot of what we wanted to do. We had chances to score – I think no less than the French. An unfortunate goal decided the game.”
Further reading
- Rudiger accused of biting Pogba
- Parachuting protestor nearly crashes into fans ahead of France vs Germany
- The making of Ilkay Gundogan
