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Status: 25.03.2021 11:56 pm
After Corona’s scare in the morning, Joachim Löw could look forward to a smooth victory at the start of his last mission as national coach. With the concentrated power of Bayern, the highly superior DFB team prevailed 3-0 (2-0) against Iceland in the first qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup in Duisburg.
Munich’s Leon Goretzka (third minute) and England’s Legionnaire Kai Havertz (seventh) quickly took the lead. The formally strong Ilkay Gündogan (56th) followed up with his goal after the break. After the recent debacle in Spain, the DFB team gave the national coach a first small gift: the biggest is to stay in MS in the summer.
“Overall I am satisfied. We started off with a lively and dynamic start. We wanted to set an example immediately. The team entered the game with the right attitude. So the victory was sovereign overall. We allowed few goals.” occasions “, praised Löw, but he was not entirely satisfied with the second 45 minutes:” In the second half we played too many passes backwards, we lost some moments, we triggered the dynamics, we picked up speed “.
“We were convinced by the fact that we scored two goals from the beginning. What was missing in the last matches and what we have resolved to do, that it can be seen today on the pitch, that we bring this passion to the pitch.” “, said the scorer Goretzka and Gündogan emphasized:” Reaction, yes. But we must always have criteria for ourselves, which is why he entered the game. ”
Löw has to replace Hofmann and Halstenberg in the short term
Löw had to rebuild his team on short notice after Corona’s first case on the national team. Because in addition to Jonas Hofmann from Mönchengladbach, who tested positive for Corona, Marcel Halstenberg, who was scheduled as a left-back, also had to be quarantined.
The person from Leipzig was classified as a Category 1 contact person by the responsible health department and was also isolated. “The two of them sat together for a long time. Then we had to follow up. That was the result. Unfortunately, that was a stupid game of backgammon,” said DFB director Oliver Bierhoff.
DFB-Elf demands respect for human rights
The German soccer team had clearly positioned itself for the observance of human rights before the game. During the line-up of the national anthems, each player wore a black jersey with a white letter; together, the strong message was: “HUMAN RIGHTS.”
Kimmich starts the first two shots
In the empty Duisburg stadium, shortly after kick-off, Löw took the earliest two-goal lead in an international match since a 4-2 win against Ecuador on the trip to the United States in May 2013. Joshua Kimmich started first two hits with two strong passes.
Goal celebration for the German team
Image: imago images / Uwe Kraft
He first deftly lifted the ball over his Munich colleague Serge Gnabry, who equalized Goretzka. Kimmich then played Leroy Sané for free, whose center Havertz converted to 2-0.
Gnabry and Sané travel a lot
On the flanks, Gnabry and Sané changed positions often and immediately recovered some balls. The failure of the regulars Toni Kroos (adductors) and Niklas Süle (strain) was hardly noticed, although not everything went well after the dream start. At the forefront, there was a lack of determination against the tight-knit guests.
It was only towards the end of the first half that the four-time world champion had great opportunities through Kimmich (42nd) and Antonio Rüdiger (43rd). The newly assembled defense with Emre Can from Dortmund as the left-back was hardly challenged. Rüdiger intervened at the last minute in the only chance the Icelanders had in the first half through Runar Sigurjonsson (27th) and gave the orders loudly as Löw demanded.
Iceland stronger early in the second half
At the start of the second round, the 2016 European Championship quarter-finalist acted with a little more courage, while the German team went into administrative mode. But in the end it was Gündogan, who had been dominating for weeks, who made things clear with a long-range shot. Soon after, Gnabry failed in the position (70th).
Debut with Bayern Musiala
In the final phase, Löw was able to save his frequent players a bit. Instead, 18-year-old Bavarian jewel Jamal Musiala made his debut for the national team.
Löw resigned from subsequent nominations
After the crown case, Jonas Hofmann, Joachim Löw gave up subsequent nominations for the other World Cup qualifiers. “There are daily tests. If nothing happens now, we will most likely stay in this group, unless there are still injuries,” Löw said.
On Saturday (March 27 and 21) the DFB entourage will depart for Romania for the second qualifying match, before North Macedonia returns to Duisburg on Wednesday (March 31 and 21) to conclude the three-pack.
