Forward Mario Gomez to miss Germany's friendly against Italy in Dortmund due to knee injury

BERLIN — Bundesliga top scorer Mario Gomez will miss Germany's home friendly against Italy on Wednesday due to sprained ligaments in his right knee.

The Bayern Munich striker, who has scored 16 league goals this season, was hurt in his club's 3-2 loss to Cologne on Saturday.

Gomez pulled out Monday and is currently the only withdrawal from coach Joachim Loew's squad, although doubts remain over midfielder Sami Khedira because of a leg injury.

Khedira remained on the bench for Real Madrid's 4-1 home won over Real Sociedad on Sunday, but flew with teammate Mesut Oezil afterward to join the rest of the squad.

Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff says "those who are there, can play" in the match at Dortmund.

Six other players sat out team training on Monday, although their participation is not thought to be in doubt.

Khedira and Oezil were among six other players who sat out team practice Monday to train individually. The others were Bayern's Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Mueller plus Werder Bremen defender Per Mertesacker.

Germany ready for Italian job

Hosts Germany take on fellow European powerhouse Italy in Wednesday's friendly looking to build on their World Cup success, while the Italians continue their recovery after the debacle in South Africa.

While Germany finished third, Italy crashed out of the tournament having failed to qualify from their group and the hosts now have the chance to avenge their 2006 World Cup defeat at the hands of the Italians in the semifinal.

With the Azzurri rebuilding, veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been recalled less than a month after making his injury comeback to bring some experience to the side.
Buffon has not played for his country since a herniated disc in his back forced him out of Italy's first match at the World Cup last June.

But he has earned an immediate call-up to coach Cesare Prandelli's squad.

The major surprise is the calling up of Inter Milan's Brazilian-born midfielder Thiago Motta who has long been a naturalised Italian and on Monday Fifa gave the go ahead for him to play for Italy.

He is one of three Inter players in the squad alongside Giampaolo Pazzini and Andrea Ranocchia.

Italy hold the upper hand in matches between the two nations with 14 wins compared to Germany's seven victories with eight games drawn.

The last time the teams met was also at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park at the 2006 World Cup when the Italians sealed a 2-0 win after extra-time on their way to winning the title.

Much has changed since then as coach Joachim Loew has brought in an exciting brand of football by using fleet-footed wingers Mesut Ozil of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller to inject pace into Germany's attack.
With Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez out with a knee injury, veteran Miroslav Klose is set to start up front as he looks to build on the 58 goals he has scored for his country, having won 105 caps.

He is still ten short of reaching Gerd Mueller's all-time record for goals in the Germany shirt.

There is no place in Loew's squad for ex-captain Michael Ballack, who is working his way back to fitness after four months out having fractured his left leg in September.

In his absence, Bayern defender Philipp Lahm is set to captain the side.

Wunderkind Mario Goetze is set to win only his second cap as the teenager has charmed Loew with a series of eye-catching displays for German league leaders Dortmund.

"My family make sure I keep my feet on the ground," said 18-year-old Goetze after Loew insisted his place is in the national side, rather than the Under-21s.

Goetze made his senior debut in Sweden last November.

Both Germany and Italy are cruising at the top of their respective Euro 2012 qualifier groups and are odds on favourites to win Group A and C respectively with the finals to be held in Ukraine and Poland in June next year.

Germany agree bonus for qualification

German national team players have agreed a bonus of €18 000 per match for the Euro 2012 qualifiers to be paid if they reach the tournament in Ukraine and Poland.
The bonus is a rise of €3 000 per match paid for the Euro 2008 qualifiers, the German football federation DFB said Monday.
The Euro 2012 bonus will thus be worth €180 000 for any player who is called up by coach Joachim Loew for his squads for all 10 of Germany's qualifiers.
Qualification for the 2010 World Cup was worth €20 000 per player per match.
Six players earned the maximum €200 000 bonus for the 10 World Cup qualification matches - Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez, Piotr Trochowski, Heiko Westermann and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
Germany heads Group A in the Euro 2012 qualifers with a maximum 12 points from four matches, followed by Austria (seven points) and Turkey (six).

Ballack hits out at rival Lahm

Germany midfielder Michael Ballack has hit out at captaincy rival Philipp Lahm, claiming that the defender was wrong to go public on the matter ahead of the World Cup and should have spoken to him personally.

GettyImagesBallack, Lahm and Low: To be reunited

A serious knee injury saw 34-year-old Ballack ruled out of the World Cup, with Lahm taking the captain's armband and leading his side to a third-place finish, but questions have now been raised over who will take charge when Ballack returns to the fold.

The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder, who returned to the club after leaving Chelsea in the summer, feels that the issue of the Germany captaincy has been badly handled.

"It is a question of respect towards the captain," Ballack told German daily Express. "I have a clear opinion on this: to focus attention on the issue publicly at that time was wrong.

"If he had spoken to me, it would have left me with a very different impression. We have since spoken briefly. I still maintain you shouldn't do something like that.But we are professionals and something like that should not ever play a role."

Ballack also slammed coach Joachim Low for only announcing in September that the ex-Chelsea star will resume as national captain when he returns for injury next month.

"If he had made the announcement three months before, we would have avoided any unnecessary discussions," he said. "I was hurt, I could not do anything. But I am glad that the national coach made the position clear after the event."

With Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira forming an excellent partnership in his absence, Ballack also admits that he may struggle to assert himself on the side again.

"I will prove myself again, but I feel that at 34 years of age, it will be harder to reach the level to be able to play at the top again," he said. "This is a huge challenge. I also have a commitment to my club Bayer Leverkusen and the fans who expect a lot from me. I will return some of the faith they have placed in me."

Low backs Ballack return

Germany coach Joachim Low believes midfielder Michael Ballack  k will return to form and regain the captaincy of the national side after the Germans were held to a goalless draw by Swedeb.

In their final game of 2010, Bayern Munich's Bastian Schweinsterger led an inexperienced Germany to a dull draw in Gothenburg on Wednesday with four players making their debuts.

Having missed the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ with an ankle injury, 34-year-old Ballack fractured his leg just below the knee on only his third game back for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga this season and will not play again until 2011.

In his absence, Real Madrid's Sami Khedira has filled Ballack's position in the heart of Germany's midfield and after the side finished third at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Ballack will have to fight to win his place back.

But with 42 goals for Germany and with 98 caps behind him, Low is backing his former captain to return with the Germans set to host Italy in Dortmund in February 2011 in their next friendly.

"It always happens that when a player gets injured, others come through and start playing and that is what we have seen with Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos  (Bayern Munich)," said Low. "We haven't written off Michael and I am convinced he will make it back it into the team."

Germany are top of their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying group and are undefeated after four matches with a five-point lead over their closest rivals.

Sweden draw with Germany as coaches experiment

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Germany and Sweden drew 0-0 in Gothenburg on Wednesday in an international friendly where both coaches took the opportunity to experiment with personnel and tactics.

Germany coach Joachim Loew fielded a young side with an average age of 23 while, still smarting from a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of the Dutch last month, Sweden started with a five-man midfield to try and smother the visitors' short-passing game.

Despite Sweden's numerical advantage in midfield, it was the experienced German pairing of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira who held the upper hand in the first half on a chilly evening.

It took until the 36th minute to register the first shot on target for either side when Sweden keeper Andreas Isaksson parried Schweinsteiger's drive from distance.

Sweden's only chance of the half came when Christian Wilhelmsson pulled the ball back in the box only for Ola Toivonen to miscue his shot from seven metres.

"It was difficult, the weather was extreme and the pitch was not very good, so it was difficult for us to create chances," Germany striker Mario Gomez told Sweden's TV10.

With both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Johan Elmander given the night off by coach Erik Hamren, it fell to Toivonen to lead the Swedish line alone. But all too often the PSV Eindhoven player came deep to collect the ball, adding an extra body to an already overcrowded midfield.

Real Madrid's Khedira almost gave the Germans the lead on the stroke of halftime as he latched on to a looping ball only to stick his lob over the crossbar.

Loew's decision to substitute his central midfield pairing on the hour mark allowed the Swedes a little more room to get forward and Lyon's Kim Kallstrom fired a volley wide in the 64th minute. 

Germany substitute Toni Kroos forced another fine save from Isaksson as he hit a rising drive from distance.

Hamren handed a debut to Helsingborg's Alexander Gerndt, but the top scorer in the Swedish league had little time to make an impression.

THe Swedesh coach was happy to see his side come away with a draw.

"Defensively we looked very good, offensively we had a few problems but in general I think we played a very good game," he said.

Germany coach picks four newcomers for Sweden friendly, leaves out some regulars

FRANKFURT — Germany coach Joachim Loew left Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Oezil and acting captain Philipp Lahm of Bayern Munich out of Germany's squad to play Sweden in a friendly next week while inviting four newcomers.

Oezil and Lahm were left out in agreement with their clubs, as well as forward Thomas Mueller of Bayern Munich.

The four newcomers picked Thursday are midfielder Mario Goetze and defender Marcel Schmelzer of Borussia Dortmund, and midfielders Andre Schuerrle and Lewis Holtby of Mainz.

Striker Miroslav Klose and defender Holger Badstuber, both of Bayern Munich, are out with injuries for the Nov. 17 match in Sweden.

Loew also picked two more players form Bundesliga leader Borussia Dortmund, defender Mats Hummels and midfielder Kevin Grosskreutz, both of whom have made one previous appearance for Germany.

"The match in Sweden is a good opportunity to give a chance to some players who are still developing," Loew said. "They have recommended themselves by playing constantly well in the Bundesliga and are likely to move up to the international level in the near future.

"We expect that some of them will make their debut in Goteborg."

The match concludes a successful season for Germany, which finished third in the World Cup in South Africa and has had a strong qualifying campaign for the 2012 European Championship so far.

The 22-man squad includes 10 players from Germany's World Cup team.

___

The squad:

Goalkeepers: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Schalke)

Defenders: Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim), Jerome Boateng (Manchester City), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Sascha Riether (Wolfsburg), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund), Heiko Westermann (Hamburger SV)

Midfieleders: Mario Goetze (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Lewis Holtby (Mainz), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Andre Schuerrle (Mainz), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Christian Traesch (Stuttgart)

Forwards: Cacau (Stuttgart), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Patrick Helmes (Bayer Leverkusen)

Toni Kroos Prefers Attacking Role

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has spoken about his role in the national team, stating that he prefers to play in a more advanced role in the middle of the park.

Kroos played in central midfield alongside Sami Khedira in Germany's win over Turkey out of necessity.

"If Bastian Schweinsteiger is fit again, the two controlling midfielders will be Schweinsteiger and Khedira. In general, I see myself as an attacking midfield player," he told Kicker.

The young playmaker, who spent 18 months on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, also spoke of his return to Bayern, which he feels was the right decision.

"My move was the right decision, although I have still not yet found a set position. However, I am flexible and I play almost every game."

Should Kroos take the field tonight in Germany's qualifier against Kazakhstan, he will trigger an international appearances clause in his contract. As he will have played five times for the national team, his former club Hansa Rostock will be due €500,000 from Bayern, due to a clause in his transfer in 2006.

Comment: Dominant Germany Show Strength In Depth

No Schweinsteiger, no problem. Germany not only beat Turkey on Friday but they issued a statement of intent. Even without their midfield fulcrum, their deep-playing architect, die Mannschaft never missed a beat.

Stand-in holding midfielder Toni Kroos channeled Bastian Schweinsteiger and Germany were unaffected. The final scored read 3-0 and was fully reflective of the Germans’ dominance.

The ease with which the Nationalelf managed in the absence of Schweinsteiger reaffirmed how adaptive Germany have become. Just seven months ago, a completely different pair of holding midfielders featured in a friendly with Argentina, and appeared destined to keep their roles in the short term.

In the wake of an injury to Michael Ballack, however, Sami Khedira partnered Schweinsteiger during the World Cup, and Germany went on to finish third. Then, on Friday, Kroos seamlessly took over for club teammate Schweinsteiger as Germany’s primary ball-player and die Mannschaft were fully dominant. It’s an ongoing process: one star gets injured, another takes his place.

While the quality of his personnel is certainly a bonus, full credit should be given to coach Joachim Loew as well as the entire DFB (German FA) technical staff for ensuring a smooth transition. Kroos and Schweinsteiger are naturally different players but each has acclimated to Loew’s system and can fit the same mould.

The same applies to Holger Badstuber, who in Germany’s three Euro qualifiers has superbly deputised for injured central defender Arne Friedrich. In recent years, Loew and the DFB have developed synergy between the youth international teams and the senior side. The fruit of their efforts was revealed at the World Cup and further supported by last night’s performance.

While it was abundantly clear that Germany can cope without Schweinsteiger, it remains uncertain as to whether Loew’s men will be able to manage with a potential injury to Mesut Oezil. The gifted playmaker suffered an ankle injury in Friday’s match and may not be fit to play against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Sprightly winger Marko Marin would by no means offer a stylistic like-for-like swap, but perhaps in output the Werder Bremen starlet could match his former club teammate. The match will be no World Cup final, but regardless of who starts, Germany fans can rest assured that there won’t be any slip-ups anytime soon.

Ozil concern for Low

Germany sweating on Real playmaker

Germany coach Joachim Low will give Mesut Ozil as long as possible to prove his fitness in midweek.

The Real Madrid man picked up an ankle injury in Friday's 3-0 victory over Turkey and is now a major doubt for Tuesday's clash with Kazakhstan.

The 21-year-old playmaker is expected to sit out training on Sunday in order to rest the problem before flying out with the rest of the squad on Monday.

Low has then requested that Ozil undertake a late fitness test before he finalises his plans for Germany's latest Euro 2012 qualifier.

Trust

"National coach Joachim Low has arranged with the doctors and physical trainers to give him a fitness test in the final training session on Monday," said the German Football Federation in a statement.

Ozil is optimistic regarding his chances of shaking off the knock and hopes he will be given the opportunity to face the Kazaks.

"It still hurts, but I trust in the swift treatment I have been given by the national team doctors and physios," he said.

"I hope that I can get fit again quickly."

Germany coach Low warns against complacency

Germany coach Joachim Low has praised his side for their 3-0 win over Turkey on Friday night, but he has warned them not to feel too comfortable after three straight Euro 2012 qualifying wins.

GettyImages

Germany celebrate after Mesut Ozil found the back of the net against Turkey

Germany fly to Kazakhstan on Monday for their next qualifier and, although their hosts are not expected to provide such a stern test as Turkey, Low has reminded his side that the game is still worth three points like every other.

"We are going to have to show a similar attitude to the one we showed in September when we built on our win against Belgium with another against Azerbaijan,'' he said. "We are not past the finishing line yet.''

Nevertheless, Low believes his side are on the right path towards Euro 2012 in Poland and the Ukraine.

"I have got to pay my team a compliment for the way they have reached top form punctually after all the strains of the World Cup,'' he said. "They are showing a great will and determination and, even if it is not always spectacular, they are still managing to dominate games.''

After defeating Turkey so emphatically on Friday, Low is set to name the same team on Tuesday, although Manchester City defender Jerome Boateng may not make the trip due to a stomach bug.

Should he be left behind, Low says he will not call up anybody else and will instead travel with just 18 players.

"If everything goes according to plan, then we will start the game with the same team as we did against Turkey,'' said Low.

Tuesday's match is scheduled for 11pm local time and the game will be played on an artificial pitch.

"This is clearly a new situation for us and a new feeling to travel so far,'' said Low. "Unlike in Russia a year ago, we will not have the time to train often on an artificial pitch so we will therefore only train twice on the surface.

"It is not going to be easy, but we have got to and will manage to get used to it.''

The Mannschaft Silbern Lorbeerblatt (Silver Bayleaf) award

Jogi was awarded with the Verdienstordens of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Philipp Lahm Praises Turkey Team Spirit

Ahead of Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier with Turkey, Germany captain Philipp Lahm has hailed his opponents' collective strength.

"There are of course many good individual players, but their greatest strength is certainly the team spirit," the full-back told reporters in a press conference. "That is, everyone is working tirelessly, from one to 11."

Notably, Lahm opted not to use the word 'teamgeist', a term often used by Germans to describe their own collectivism. Nonetheless, he did underline a fundamental similarity between the footballing cultures of both Germany and Turkey.

Germany's president honours coach Loew and national team for World Cup performance

BERLIN — Germany's president honoured national coach Joachim Loew and his team on Tuesday for their strong showing at the World Cup in South Africa.

President Christian Wulff handed Loew the country's highest honour — the Federal Order of Merit — at a ceremony at the Bellevue palace in Berlin.

With Chancellor Angela Merkel standing beside him, he also gave Loew's players the Silver Laurel Leaf, Germany's highest recognition for sporting achievement.

Wulff praised Loew as "an exemplary football coach, a model leadership personality, an internationally recognized football expert and a deeply likeable sportsman."

Germany finished third at the World Cup and was praised for its attractive play.

"The team convinced with its elegance, effortlessness, team spirit and playfulness, and can be an example for others," Wulff said.

Referring to the squad's multiethnic makeup, he added that "this team is a mirror of our country's actual society."

World Cup captain Philipp Lahm said the award was a "great incentive" for the future.

"We want finally to bring a title to Germany, of course in the near future," said Lahm.

Germany's last tournament win was the 1996 European Championship.

Germany Captain Philipp Lahm Concerned By Bastian Schweinsteiger Absence In Euro 2012 Qualifiers

Lahm believes some players will have to step up in Schweinsteiger's absence.

Germany captain Philipp Lahm has expressed his anxiety at the absence of midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger for their upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers but believes the squad is strong enough to cope without him.

The Bayern Munich star had to pull out of the squad because of injury and his club team-mate Lahm believes other players will have to step up in his absence.

"His absence will hurt but we have plenty of players who can come in and do a reliable job, as we saw at the World Cup," he said, according to bundesliga.de.

Germany will host Turkey on October 8 before traveling to Kazakhstan four days later.

Ballack to stay Germany captain, Bild says

BERLIN — Germany coach Joachim Loew has decided that veteran Michael Ballack will remain his first-choice captain despite being left out of their first two Euro 2012 qualifying games, Bild reported Wednesday.
"At the moment we have Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira in defensive midfield," the newspaper quoted Loew as telling the team at a Frankfurt hotel on Tuesday evening.

"But when Michael comes back and makes it back into the team then he will also be captain. If Michael doesn't play then Philipp (Lahm) is captain," Loew is cited as telling the players.

Ballack, 33, has been dropped for the first two games against Belgium away on Friday and Azerbaijan at home four days later as he continues his recovery from the ankle injury that kept him out of the World Cup.
Bayern Munich defender Lahm, 26, captained Germany in their highly successful World Cup campaign in South Africa, sweeping aside England 4-1 and Argentina 4-0 before losing to eventual winners Spain in the semi-finals.

Ballack, who is now back in Germany playing for Bayer Leverkusen ever his contract at Chelsea expired at the end of last season, has something of a history clashing with other players, as well as with Loew.
Things have not got off to a flying start for Ballack's return to the Bundesliga, meanwhile. Bayer Leverkusen were beaten 6-3 by Moenchengladbach on Sunday -- and Ballack was booed off when he was replaced in the second-half.

Germany also face Turkey, Austria and Kazakhstan in Group A for a guaranteed place at Euro 2012, which will be hosted by Ukraine and Poland.

Loew was due to make an official announcement at a news conference on Wednesday at 1030 GMT.

Danes fight back to claim draw

AP

Mario Gomez failed to find the net in South Africa but was first on the scoresheet against Denmark

SCORING SUMMARY
Denmark	Germany
Dennis Rommedahl (74)	Mario Gomez (19)
Mads Junker (87)	Patrick Helmes (73)

MATCH STATS
	Denmark	Germany
Shots (on Goal)	25(8)	18(8)
Fouls	7	7
Corner Kicks	9	1
Offsides	1	1
Time of Possession	53%	47%
Yellow Cards	0	1
Red Cards	0	0
Saves	6	6

MATCH INFORMATION

Stadium: Parken Stadion Attendance: 16,100 Match Time: 18:30 GMT Official(s):  Alan Kelly (Referee)

TEAMS
Denmark	Germany
1 Thomas Sorensen	12 Tim Wiese
4 Daniel Agger	5 Serdar Tasci
3 Simon Kjaer	20 Jerome Boateng
5 Simon Poulsen	4 Marcel Schäfer
2 Lars Jacobsen	2 Andreas Beck
7 William Kvist	8 Thomas Hitzlsperger
8 Christian Eriksen	7 Christian Gentner
6 Mike Jensen	23 Mario Gomez
11 Thomas Enevoldsen	18 Toni Kroos
9 Nicklas Pedersen	21 Marko Marin
10 Dennis Rommedahl	3 Christian Träsch
Substitutes
13 Per Kroldrup	Christian Schulz 19
18 Mads Junker	Aaron Hunt 11
17 Kasper Lorentzen	Manuel Neuer 1
19 Johan Absalonsen	Sascha Riether 6
14 Michael Silberbauer	Patrick Helmes 9
12 Johnny Thomsen
15 Lasse Schöne
16 Stephan Andersen
Substitutions
Johnny Thomsen for Simon Poulsen (28)	Sascha Riether for Andreas Beck (56)
Lasse Schöne for Mike Jensen (45)	Aaron Hunt for Marko Marin(57)
Michael Silberbauer forThomas Enevoldsen (45)	Patrick Helmes for Thomas Hitzlsperger (66)
Mads Junker for Nicklas Pedersen (55)	Christian Schulz for Jerome Boateng (78)
Kasper Lorentzen for William Kvist (68)
Yellow Cards
	Jerome Boateng (8)
· Club Squads: Denmark | GermanyUpdated: August 12, 2010, 7:45 AM GMT

Denmark recovered from two goals down to grab a deserved 2-2 draw with Germany in the two nations' first fixture since the World Cup.Mario Gomez put Germany ahead against the run of play in the 19th minute and Patrick Helmes added a second in the 73rd.
However, Dennis Rommedahl and Mads Junker struck back to ensure that Morten Olsen's side earned a draw in Copenhagen.
Both coaches were deprived of the majority of their regular first-team squads for this friendly match, which fell at an unfortunate time with domestic seasons on the verge of beginning and numerous players, mainly from the regular Germany squad, only just back in training following the World Cup.
Denmark's players have had a longer holiday this summer following their early elimination in South Africa and they looked fresher early on.
Daniel Agger went close with a header in the seventh minute before a succession of dangerous free-kicks from Christian Eriksen threatened Tim Wiese's goal.
Yet it was the visitors who went ahead with their first attack in the 19th minute.
Thomas Hitzlsperger was the provider, although his finely-threaded throughball seemed to be aimed at Toni Kroos, although it fell perfectly for Gomez to collect and place past Thomas Sorensen from 10 yards.
Denmark had the chance to level before the break when Rommedahl, making his 100th international appearance, was given the ball inside the area by Johnny Thomsen, but Wiese pushed his effort wide.
The hosts started with a flurry in the second half and Nicklas Pedersen was unfortunate to see his shot deflect off Jerome Boateng and be cleared off the line by Serdar Tasci.
Agger could only find the post when Wiese parried a free-kick from out wide in the 55th minute as Denmark continued to probe.
But Germany responded with their best spell of the game.
Aaron Hunt's 25-yard shot was pushed onto the outside of the post by Sorensen, who then gifted Gomez the chance to score a second, but the Bayern Munich striker lifted his shot over the crossbar from close range.
Helmes then took his first chance of the game shortly after coming onto the field to double Germany's advantage, beating Sorensen with a well-placed shot into the far corner after beating the offside trap.
However, Rommedahl took advantage of a defensive error from Christian Trasch to beat Wiese from the edge of the penalty area and give Denmark hope less than 60 second later.
And Junker completed the comeback with three minutes remaining, making the most of another defensive error, this time from Wiese, who was caught in two minds whether he could catch the ball right on the edge of his area and let the ball bounce down off his chest to the Danish striker.
Gomez had failed in a one-on-one with Sorensen moments earlier, but Denmark were good value for the draw, even though their goals were gifts from the Germany defence.