As of: 08.10.2021 11:05 p.m.
Germany struggled to a narrow success against Romania in the World Cup qualification. The DFB team had a lot of chances, but needed Hansi Flick’s old Bayern connection for the winning goal.
The game started very unlucky for the DFB-Elf. Romania reacted to a rightly not given penalty for Germany with a counterattack, which Ianis Hagi completed with a fine individual performance to make it 0-1 (9th). Shortly after the break, Serge Gnabry equalized with a low shot from 18 meters (52nd). Substitute Thomas Müller brought Germany to Siegerstrasse after a corner with a shot from very close range (81st). It was the fourth win in the fourth game under Hansi Flick. “If I go that far forward, the alarm bells go off at Flick that something is going to happen backwards,” said Thomas Müller on RTL, “but Niki has blocked the space, Leon has extended perfectly.” And the Bayern veteran praised the audience: “The audience honored our style of play at the break despite the deficit. And when the 2-1 fell, there was a kind of explosion here.”
Powerful from the start
From the start, the German team played forward and seemed to be pushing for the first goal quickly. But regardless of whether it was Leroy Sané, who last shone at the club, Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner or Jonas Hoffmann, there was a lack of precision in the passing game, and ball combinations were too rare during the early stages of the game.
The first upset came in the sixth minute: Timo Werner was touched minimally by Andrei Burca in the Romanians’ penalty area and fell to the ground. First the Turkish referee decided on a penalty, but rightly took the penalty back, according to the video recording.
Romania countered – successfully
The national player Leroy Sane
Image: Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
And just seconds later Romania cheered: After a quick advance over the right side, Thilo Kehrer was unable to access Ianis Hagi, Antonio Rüdiger let himself be tunneled by the son of the legend Georghe Hagi and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, short-term representative for Manuel, who had adductor problems Neuer had no chance of defending against the tight low shot from a half-right position.
The German team reacted completely unsettled for a short time and literally struggled for composure, the Romanians in turn sensed their chance to increase. It was only after a quarter of an hour that the DFB-Elf had their first dangerous goal approach: Marco Reus started from the right with a flank, Werner and Gnabry, who was sitting down on the ground, each missed. A ray of hope in the otherwise surprisingly static-looking game structure of Germany against the low-lying Romanian team.
From the middle of the 1st half: Germany is getting stronger
However, Romania let Hansi Flick’s team come into play better through passivity. Again and again, for example, Joshua Kimmich tried to dup the Romanian defensive chain with passports. What failed for a long time. A conclusion from Reus after a good half hour after Sané sent a Süle pass through gave hope for the spectator ranks. But Florin Nita in the box of the guests raised her fists in time. A little later Gnabry had the lead half right on the foot, but his attempt to pass Werner failed and almost hit the Romanian goal to equalize. Gnabry and Rüdiger tried long-range shots – but clearly missed. It remained at the 0-1 deficit at the break.
Identical start of half two
The national player Serge Gnabry
Image: Martin Rose / Getty Images
For the second part of the game, Hansi Flick did not make any changes. The style of play also remained the same: Again the German team started furiously, but Romania almost made it 2-0 through Puscas, Süle prevented this. Around the time when Romania had taken the lead in the first half of the game, Serge Gnabry met in section two: After Reus was put down, the Bayern player held it from 18 meters in the half-right position and sank the ball in the far corner.
And now, so to speak, a power play of the German team began. Reus and Sané, who are also very strong defensively, did not succeed. Nevertheless, it was felt that the second goal should follow quickly. But “fast” wasn’t. With the substitutes Kai Havertz and Thomas Müller (for Werner and Reus) speed came into the game again. But again and again the Romanians succeeded in preventing the deficit.
Persistence leads to success
Even in the last 20 minutes, the DFB men did not give in: Sané failed twice, Havertz was also slowed down at the last moment. And a little symbolic of the arduous evening: In another shot from the edge of the penalty area, Ganbry met his colleague Sané who was crossing. About ten minutes before the end of the game, the redemption: After a rehearsed corner ball combination of the Bayern block, Thoms Müller was spot on at the second post and pushed the ball over the line for the winning goal. Kimmich had flanked from the right, Leon Goretzka extended with his head at the height of the first post.
Germany lead Group J after seven games with six wins and six points ahead of North Macedonia and Armenia. That North Macedonia is the next opponent of the German team next Monday (11.10.21, 8.45 p.m., live ticker at sportschau.de).
Source: sportschau.de