Germany vs. Ukraine: Score and Twitter Reaction from Euro 2016

Germany defeated Ukraine 2-0 to ensure their Euro 2016 campaign got off to a flying start on Sunday, when Shkodran Mustafi and Bastian Schweinsteiger provided the goals for manager Joachim Low's side.

The reigning world champions sizzled at times at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, France, and rose to the top of Group C after becoming the first team at Euro 2016 to win a game by a margin of two goals.   

Toni Kroos enjoyed a man-of-the-match-worthy performance in his Euro 2016 bow and ran the show from a deep-lying role in midfield, leaving the opposition chasing shadows for much of the match.

Bundesliga writer James Thorogood highlighted the difference between Germany's winning mentality and England, who conceded late to surrender a 1-1 draw to Russia just 24 hours earlier:

The Germans' opening salvo was a dangerous one, but it was Ukraine's Yevhen Konoplyanka who saw the first real scoring opportunity of the clash saved by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, with Mustafi to blame for gifting the ball to the opposition.

The official Euro 2016 Twitter account detailed Ukraine were going in search of a landmark win over the reigning world champions, and after Germany lost three of the last five games, this was a prime chance to do so:

A swift start to proceedings gave way to a Ukrainian lull, however. It was around 15 minutes into the match that Germany's grip started to take hold, and Mustafi made it count.

Kroos' 19th-minute free-kick curled over the Ukraine defence and was begging to get a touch goalward before Valencia defender Mustafi obliged and nodded it past Andriy Pyatov for his first international goal, via Match of the Day:

Ukraine's defence was a positive one, though, and it was again Konoplyanka who pushed Low's men onto their back feet—literally too, as Jerome Boateng tumbled into his own net making a desperate clearance.

Former England defender Jamie Carragher was in awe of the Bayern Munich man's acrobatics:

Pyatov was again called into action just before the half-hour mark, when Sami Khedira found space among the Ukraine defence, and it was Kroos once again pulling all the strings at Germany's core.

Andriy Yarmolenko almost took it one step further than winger partner Konoplyanka and put the ball in the back of the net, but his chance close to half-time was ruled out for offside. Speaking at the break, the Match of the Day panel hailed the unpredictability of the world champions:

An already flowing encounter opened up further after the restart, and it didn't take Kroos long to enforce himself on the game by pinging Pyatov's left post from the edge of the area.

In the opening quarter of the second period, Draxler and Khedira also saw shots blocked from long range, but it looked increasingly likely that Ukraine might be seen out of the fixture because of Germany's hold on the ball.

It wasn't as though Germany didn't have their share of one-on-one chances either, and Paul Little of the Irish Daily Star made note of their profligacy in front of goal:

Ukraine almost took a page out of Russia's book and sealed a late equaliser following Neuer's run out from his goal, but Schweinsteiger, on as a 90th-minute substitute for Mario Gotze, made Ukraine pay.

Mesut Ozil raced free on the counter-attack down Germany's left flank, and Schweinsteiger made a lung-bursting run to the far post to connect and double his side's lead at the death. The Mirror's Matty Lawless jested Manchester United have not made proper use of the veteran midfielder:

Poland triumphed over Northern Ireland with a 1-0 win earlier on Sunday, but Germany will undoubtedly feel they're capable of topping Group C based on what they've seen of the competition.

Low's men face what will now be seen as their toughest remaining challenge in the group phase with a clash against Poland on Thursday, when they'll look to maintain their perfect start to Euro 2016.

Post-Match Reaction

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Ukraine manager Mykhailo Fomenko came close to seeing his side pull off a grand upset in Lille, but the eastern Europeans ultimately finished a distance from their foes in the most slanted scoreline of Euro 2016 thus far.

Per the official Euro 2016 Twitter account, Fomenko succinctly depicted the uphill struggle one usually faces when taking on a team like Germany, regardless of what form they're in:

Unsurprisingly, Low's post-match press conference featured a series of less intense questions, including the debate as to how he decided who would captain his team, per CNN's John Sinnott:

One game in and three points closer to topping Group C, Germany's European Championship is off to the start they sought, late Schweinsteiger addition or not.

Die Mannschaft have one of their largest group obstacles out of the way, but there is certainly room for improvement before they take on Poland this Thursday.