A clear win against Luxembourg and an almost even more important defeat for Slovakia: Germany is suddenly on target in World Cup qualification after their second success in a row. In the 4-0 (2-0), right-back Joshua Kimmich was the most successful with his first DFB brace (21st/50th minute), the remaining goals were scored by David Raum (12th) and Serge Gnabry (48th).
Although the previous game against Northern Ireland (3:1) was successful, it is still the weak performance in Slovakia (0:2) that characterizes the DFB team in this World Cup qualification and that can be made up for in terms of results and performance. Against Luxembourg, Julian Nagelsmann’s team worked on it from the first moment, played with joy and let the ball run far too quickly for the deep-defending opponent.
Direct free kick for the DFB team? Alert level black-red-gold
After just three minutes, Kimmich had the first good chance with a shot from 17 meters, but Anthony Moris was able to save it. Seconds later, the Luxembourg keeper was powerless when a deflected shot from Gnabry landed in the goal – however, Nick Woltemade deflected the ball with his arm, which is why the goal did not count (4th).
However, this did not dampen the German offensive drive, and a new specialty emerged. Florian Wirtz scored against Northern Ireland with a direct free kick, and against Luxembourg his teammate Raum copied him. The left-back took a shot from 20 meters, was lucky that the wall was full of holes and scored through it to make it 1-0 (12th).
Carlson’s arm takes away any tension from the game
And then Luxembourg helped a lot in ensuring that the game was already decided after 20 minutes. Dirk Carlson fended off the ball with his arm in his own penalty area before a shot from Gnabry, and in addition to the penalty there was also a red card for the outsider’s full-back. He then saw from outside how Kimmich certainly pushed in from the spot (21′).
Germany combined well, but rarely had any really good chances. Gnabry caused the goal music to sound a third time, but his shot from 16 meters after a dream combination landed on the back goal post and then in the outside goal net (24th). Space was later found in the side netting after Woltemade had missed a top chance in front of the opposing keeper (33′). Shortly before the half-time break, Kimmich failed again due to Moris (45th + 2).
Kimmich gets Double pack premiere gifted
2-0, superiority, an opponent who had only scored two goals in a game once in the last 18 months – German victory was already certain. Since the Slovakia defeat it has also been about building up the best possible goal difference. Because that could still be decisive in the fight for group victory if the DFB team manages to get revenge against Slovakia on the last match day.
Gnabry put this plan into action when he benefited from a defensive error and increased the lead to 3-0 (48th), and after a corner kick, Luxembourg’s defense Kimmich scored his second goal (50th). The captain had scored eight goals in 103 international matches, and now he scored twice for the DFB team for the first time – and did so as a right-back.
Germany is getting very important support
Three out of four goals came from standard situations – and only a few centimeters were missing from the fourth goal from a stationary ball. In the 62nd minute, Wirtz also showed that he is a good free-kick taker, but his shot from 22 meters hit the post.
After that, the Nagelsmann team took it easy – perhaps because they knew that the importance of the goal difference had diminished in the meantime. In Belfast, Northern Ireland had gained a 2-0 lead against Slovakia and thus ensured that Germany took the lead in Group A.
The DFB team certainly didn’t play like stars, was often unclean, but wasn’t challenged either. And yet it was the perfect evening for the German team because the victory and the help from Northern Ireland put them back in a position where they have World Cup qualification in their own hands. It is now certain that Germany will take part in next year’s three-country tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico with three wins in the remaining three games.