BERLIN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Germany bounced back from one goal down and edged resilient Greece 2-1 thanks to the late winner from Pascal Gross in their last friendly ahead of Euro 2024 on Friday.

Although Greece did not qualify for the upcoming tournament, they put Germany under pressure from the starting whistle.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to be on guard with six minutes played when Cristos Tzolis unleashed a dangerous shot on target.

The hosts needed 20 minutes to create their first clearcut opportunity after Jamal Musiala tested Greece custodian Odysseas Vlachodimos from the edge of the box.

However, the opener was scored at the other end of the pitch as Neuer palmed Tzolis' effort into path of Georgios Masouras, who made no mistake and slotted home from close range.

Germany should have restored parity before the break but Jonathan Tah's header, following Toni Kroos' free kick into the box, went just wide. The hosts thought they had marked the equalizer through Kai Havertz, but the goal was ruled offside.

After the restart, Germany set the tone and leveled the scores with 56 minutes played after Havertz finished off Leroy Sane's good build-up work and cutback pass with a turn shot from central position from inside the box.

Greece remained unimpressed and forced Neuer into action again in the 64th minute but Tzolis couldn't beat Germany's No. 1 from tight angle.

Julia Nagelsmann's boys gained momentum as Nico Schlotterbeck had a hammer saved before Benjamin Henrichs rattled the woodwork from 22 meters in the closing stages.

Germany's efforts eventually got rewarded in the dying minutes of the clash as joker Pascal Gross benefitted on a rebound and drilled the 2-1 last-minute winner into the top right corner, giving the Euro hosts a boost in confidence ahead of the curtain raiser against Scotland on June 14.

"We made some changes during the break and staged a better performance in the second half. Greece challenged us today, but it is an important win for the confidence and vibe. A deserved victory for the team. We will be prepared for a tough clash with Scotland in the opener," said Germany coach Nagelsmann. Enditem

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