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For Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall there was no more rank coming from Patrik Schick's long-range shot
Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP
Even more beautiful than Klaus Augenthaler once: With a goal from more than 45 meters, Leverkusen professional Patrik Schick not only provided what is probably the most beautiful goal of the 2021 European Football Championship in the 2-0 (1-0) of the Czech Republic against Scotland also set a record.
Since the detailed data collection, there has not been a hit from a greater distance at a European championship.
In the middle of Scotland's best phase, after a blocked long-range shot by Jack Hendry, Schick reached the ball a few steps in the opposing half and shot it with a direct tap and with a lot of spin over Scotland's far advanced goalkeeper to make the decisive 2-0 into the goal (52nd minute of the game).
Goalkeeper David Marshall had rushed back in a full sprint, but the ball, hit perfectly by Schick and soaring, dropped at exactly the right moment, so that it landed unsustainably just under the bar in the goal.
In the first half Schick had already beheaded his team in the lead.
A goal that did not come by chance, as the acclaimed scorer later revealed: "I saw him standing far in front of his line," Schick told the BBC after the game.
"I noticed that in the first half and then always looked where he was".
Former Scottish international Pat Nevin said after the game on BBC Radio 5 Live: "There's nothing you can do as a defender if he (Patrick Schick) shoots from 40 to 50 yards." John McGinns, current Scots midfielder , saw it a little more critically: "We could have prevented both goals, even if the second hit was a great shot."
With his goal from just behind the center line, Schick joined a number of great footballers with spectacular long-range shots.
Perhaps the best-known goal of this kind in Germany, a Sportschau goal of the decade, was scored by Klaus Augenthaler in the 1989 DFB Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Schicks goal was even more difficult.
Even better than Augenthaler
While Augenthaler drove the ball through midfield and was not attacked, Schick's hit was a direct acceptance under distress.
In addition, in contrast to Augenthaler, the Czech fired his shot from the half-left position, so that the 25-year-old had to turn the ball towards the goal.
Werder Bremen's Diego was even further away from goal than Schick when he scored on April 20, 2007. The midfield director scored from 62.5 meters in the home game against Alemannia Aachen.
Back then, the Brazilian hit the bottom edge of the crossbar before the ball went into the goal.
But even Diego wasn't bothered by an opponent when he graduated.
In addition, the goal of the guests from Aachen was orphaned for this goal in stoppage time, so it didn't matter that the ball went towards the goal at a much slower pace.
Schick has been playing for Bayer Leverkusen since last season and scored nine goals and set up two goals in his first season for the Werkself.
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