Germany had some good moments to start off with, but eventually England’s man-oriented pressing and stability in possession brought them game control, especially with Germany falling into quite a passive defensive stance. The game drifted somewhat for long periods due to the stability focus of both teams, but England eventually broke through in the second […]
If the main objective in football was to cross the ball, few could dispute Germany as the commanding favourites for EURO 2020. Alas, the game is decided by looking at who puts the ball in the opposing goal the most. In that setting Joachim Löw’s side look unconvincing and unprepared. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Overload and draw Portugal to the right, switch the play to Robin Gosens, goal. As simple as it sounds, this was the sequence of the game. It was repeated countless times, and it allowed Germany to secure the win over Fernando Santos’ side. With the Portuguese manager failing to adjust, Gosens ran Nelson Semedo ragged. […]
The second round of group stage fixtures sees Germany and Portugal lock horns. Portugal labored their way past a stubborn Hungary with three very late goals, while Germany struggled to get their offense going and ultimately failed to overcome an early Hummels own goal. Without either nation on song in their first game of EURO […]
The Germans suffered the trademark defense plus counterattacking strategy of Deschamps’ France. Looking at shot count and expected goals might wrongly show Germany as the dominant side, as these numbers were just a result of the game state. After France’s 20th-minute goal, Les Bleus mostly sat back and let the Germans come to them. The […]
The last few years will go down as a bleak chapter in the history of the German national team. New talents and old heroes offer pieces to solving the puzzle, but awkward approaches to putting them together have blighted chances of success. This preview puts forward a brief appraisal of the country’s plight and the […]
This match was the beginning of a new Germany chapter, as Joachim Löw’s team showed some exciting ideas. A glamorous performance from Sané and Gündoğan highlighted the cohesive left flank of Germany’s 4-3-3 formation, supported by Kimmich and Goretzka shining centrally. Iceland failed to deal with this threat as the game was effectively decided in […]
Two sides amid transformative phases locked horns here. Germany had no buildup answers to the Spanish man-marking press thus their attacking threat vanished as soon as their direct play was stifled. In contrast, Spain got behind the German midfield line constantly with Álvaro Morata being vital between the lines. A hattrick from the dynamic Ferran […]
With the teams lining up in systems which saw them matched up man for man when pressing, much of the first half revolved around who could get the upper hand against the man-marking of the opponent. Spain grew into the game well in this respect but were punished by Germany for not capitalising as Timo […]
The fourth meeting in eleven months between the Netherlands and Germany yielded six goals and yet another fun game. Before half-time, Germany were in control of the match, having scored the opener and wasting several moments to double their lead. They would rue their wastefulness, as it gave Koeman the opportunity to alter his tactics, […]