With mosquitoes plaguing their preparations, lightning flashing over the match, and an early goal disallowed, the Germans must have wondered halfway into their Euro 2024 last-16 game against Denmark if the gods were against them.
But as the storm clouds passed, so their fortunes changed and Germany deservedly ran out as a 2-0 winner in Dortmund to reach a first major tournament quarterfinal in eight years.
That is a long time by the standards of a nation whose name became synonymous in soccer with serial winning.