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Rio 2016: Germany's men through to football semifinals

Matt PearsonAugust 13, 2016

Germany eased in to the Olympic semifinals with a comfortable yet impressive 4-0 win over Portugal. Goals from Serge Gnabry, Matthias Ginter, Davie Selke and Philipp Max were enough to book a last four place.

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Olympiade Rio Fußball Deutschland Portugal
Image: Reuters/U. Marcelino

Confidence in the German camp was high going in to the game after their 10-0 demolition of Fiji in their final froup game and the Germans started the game brightly, with Arsenal's Gnabry and Julian Brandt coming to the fore.

The slick interplay the young team demonstrated was rewarded on the stroke of half-time when the Arsenal man latched on to a through ball before sidefooting past the Portuguese keeper from an acute angle. It was Gnabry's sixth goal in four games and the 21-year-old is currently the tournaments top scorer.

Germany's fluency improved still further in the second half and Portugal had no answer. The dominance of the side in white was further rewarded in the 57th minute when Borussia Dortmund defender Matthias Ginter, who was in Germany's World Cup 2014 squad, headed home powerfully from a corner.

Olympiade Rio Fußball Deutschland Portugal
Image: Reuters/U. Marcelino

Another well-worked move found Davie Selke in acres of space with 15 minutes remaining and the RB Leipzig frontman made no mistake, stroking the ball home from just inside the box.

If there were any doubt that Germany would prevail, Selke's goal extinguished it but there was still more to come from a side growing in to the competition.

Substitute Philipp Max played a swift one-two with Brandt before curling home to ice the cake and book a semi final clash with Nigeria or Denmark, who play later on Saturday.