Germany downed Luxembourg 4-0 in what was surely a clunker of a match for the neutrals. But how should the Germans feel after what was nearly a dire September? Is the World Cup Qualification campaign back
on track? Let’s dive into it.
No contest
It took only 20 minutes for what was a mismatch to turn into, for lack of better words, an even more mis-matched mismatched. A better game might have inspired some craftier word-smithing but this was not that sort of day. A lofted ball into the Luxembourg box bounced off the arm of left-back Dirk Carlson, which ironically generated a half-chance for Bayern Munich attacker Serge Gnabry. That he scuffed it was no matter: it was a straight red for the American-born Luxembourg defender and a penalty tidily converted by Gnabry’s club teammate Joshua Kimmich, and the Germans were 2-0 up and in cruise control.
Cruising, precisely, is what they did the rest of the way. Germany had 84% possession, a number which by memory could not have been much different before or after the red card, and carved a grand total of five big chances (Sofascore) out of 31 (!) shots. Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah took a few spells down on the turf but did not look to have come out of this with anything serious. Two early second half goals put to bed any desperate hope anyone might have had for some fireworks to come out of this one.
Compared to September…Germany will more than happily take it! It was not a test by any stretch, but you play the hands you’re dealt and the teams on the schedule.
Long Live U-Ball?
Judging by the comments section of the live blog, this was an abject disaster. But let’s turn that assumption around. Yes, Germany probably could have been expected to smack this Luxembourg side with double-digit goals, especially after getting a man advantage. But: does it mean anything that they didn’t?
Luxembourg, to their credit, packed the box especially after the red card and offered nothing at all going forward. The Germans were reduced to circulating the ball, probing for chances, and trying for delicately threaded balls or crossing hopefully into the penalty area, where they were typically outnumbered. There was little urgency to it all, and there didn’t need to be. The players are playing a two-game international matchweek in the midst of domestic and Champions League campaigns that are heating up, so it’s just as well that — a 2-0 lead in hand early — they did not strain themselves.
As for the tactical display? To this author’s eye, Germany did a solid job of getting their wide players in space as well as crafting opportunities for midfielders (or inverting right-backs, in Kimmich’s case) to loft balls over the top. On the ball, the recently returned Aleksandar Pavlović got to work in 142 passes in 90’ around his national team assembly of teammates — valuable reps and as much as he could get out of this one. As far as a U-ball type of game goes, that’s decent return. What did you want? Fast breaks?
Besides, Germany were a few meters away — a second wonderful free kick that banked off the post, a couple of Jonathan Burkardt opportunities late, a pass here and there that could have come off but just didn’t — from improving on the 4-0 scoreline.
Some teams would have laid down and given up. If Luxembourg had, it could have gotten ugly. As it was, it wasn’t so far from that.
Firepower questions will linger
Here’s one area I will concede the Germans need to sort it out — despite Serge Gnabry’s sharp finish early in the second half. Newcastle United’s vaunted summer transfer, Nick Woltemade, led the line and outside of a few almost passes did not really stand out to make an impact. One moment that was his to grab, he fluffed — after getting played in behind the line, he took one extra, horribly heavy touch in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Anthony Morris and ran himself out of the chance.
It’s nit-picking, on a day when individual and team performances were fine, in a game that did not offer much to reveal one way or another. But we’re still waiting for this Julian Nagelsmann team to show some of that trademark Julian Nagelsmann pizazz in attack. And there is the sense that this front four, missing the likes of Bayern’s Jamal Musiala and Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, is not remotely what the final product will look like next summer at the World Cup. That is going to create uncertainty, uncertainty that is at the moment unanswerable.
Vibe shift when?
As much as anything else, Nagelsmann’s job as Germany boss is to manage the vibes around the team. The self-belief, swagger, and conviction that Germany will have to bring to next summer’s tournament in order to play freely and win. It’s going to be interesting to see how the coach sets the tone about a dull, professional victory like this against an outgunned and outmanned opponent.
The real test, such as a test is possible this break, may come on Monday against Northern Ireland. They gave Germany a scare in September and now Nagelsmann has been pressed into making changes — like Kimmich’s move back to right-back and the axing of VfB Stuttgart’s Maximilian Mittelstädt at left-back. How will results this month carry through into November and March? The window for experimentation is rapidly diminishing. Can the Germans allow themselves to feel good yet about where they are at? Can they afford not to?
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