No national coach in German football history has ever achieved this: Hansi Flick and his national team set a record with a runaway victory in the World Cup qualification against Liechtenstein. In front of 26,000 spectators in the sold-out Wolfsburg stadium, the ex-Bayern coach celebrated his sixth win in the sixth competitive game since Joachim Löw took office, surpassing his predecessor, who had left before the game. In the 9: 0 (4: 0) against the overwhelmed football dwarf Ilkay Gündogan (11th minute / penalty), Daniel Kaufmann (20th / own goal) carried each other. Leroy Sané (22nd, 49th), Marco Reus (23rd), Thomas Müller (76th, 86th) Ridle Baku (80th) and Maximilian Göppel (89th, own goal) in the list of goalscorers. Liechtenstein had to complete the game after a brutal foul by Jens Hofer since the 9th minute.
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The game had no sporting value for either team. The ticket for the World Cup finals in Qatar in just over a year had already been bought by the DFB selection as group winners at the beginning of October, Liechtenstein no longer has a chance of the play-offs for the World Cup qualifying. Flick had to do without several players: Thilo Kehrer replaced the Corona-infected Niklas Süle as central defender. For Kehrer, Christian Günter moved to the position of left-back Ilkay Gündogan, who played in midfield for Joshua Kimmich, who, as one of four contacts, had to leave after Niklas Süle’s positive test in quarantine. Wolfsburg Ridle Baku, whom Flick had re-nominated on Tuesday, started on the right offensive lane. In addition to Süle and Kimmich, Flick was also missing the offensives Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Karim Adeyemi, who also had to be quarantined.
Germany in the individual criticism against Liechtenstein
All German players against Liechtenstein here in the individual review.
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After official farewell to ex-national coach and world champion coach Löw it went straight to the point in the VW arena. Löw is unlikely to have taken his place in the stands when a brutal foul on Leon Goretzka shocked the fans and teammates. The Liechtensteiner Jens Hofer jumped the Bayern star in his own penalty area with his foot first against the neck (8th). The referee Ivana Martincic, who was the first woman to lead an international match for the DFB-Elf, immediately decided on a penalty – and showed Hofer the red card after VAR intervention. Gündogan (11th) safely converted the penalty that was due after the kung-fu kick. Goretzka was able to continue playing with bruises on his neck, but was replaced at half time as a precaution.
With the Gündogan hit, the goal machine of the DFB got going: Within twelve minutes, three more hits were scored. First Daniel Kaufmann gritted a sharp cross from Günter into his own goal (20th), then Leroy Sané (22nd) after a presentation by Goretzka and Marco Reus made a single effort into the goal of the pitiful Liechtenstein goalkeeper Benjamin Büchel. The DFB team was overwhelmingly superior in every phase of the game, had chances every minute and should have led significantly higher than “only” 4-0 at the break.
After the 4-0, the Flick-Elf took their foot off the gas a little. And yet the scoring continued after the break: Sané (49th) made his brace four minutes after the restart after Reus crossed it perfectly. Substitute Wolfsburg professional Lukas Nmecha (56th) hit the post a little later on his debut with a direct pick-up, and Kevin Volland (77th), who was also new to the game, shot at the aluminum. Thomas Müller (76th, 86th) did better exactly 20 and 30 minutes later. Baku (80th) provided the most beautiful goal of the day, who hit the left corner with a perfect flick from the right edge of the box. A dream goal – in contrast to Göppel’s own goal (89th).
Flick and his team will continue on Sunday when the final qualifying game against Armenia is scheduled in Yerevan.