Having started the tournament with three points against Australia, Germany take on a powerful and experienced Chile at the Kazan Arena. With Cameroon and Australia sharing the spoils earlier in the afternoon, it is all set up for the winner to secure a berth in the semi-finals.
Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw makes a number of changes to his starting eleven. The first is perhaps not a surprise, with Bernd Leno making way for Marc-André ter Stegen in goal. A shift to what looks like a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 formation sees Matthias Ginter get a start at the back alongside Niklas Süle and Shkodran Mustafi, while a four man defensive midfield unit sees Emre Can get a start alongside Sebastian Rudy and roving wingbacks Joshua Kimmich and Jonas Hector.
Both Julian Brandt and Sandro Wagner are on the bench, while Lars Stindl plays up top (or as a false nine) ahead of (or alongside) Leon Goretzka and skipper Julian Draxler.
Both teams walk out onto to the pitch on what is a clear evening in Kazan, and there’s some awkwardness during the national anthems. All goes to plan with the Nationalhymne, but the music appears top stop halfway through the Chilean anthem while the players continue to belt out the words. There’s some noise from the crowd, and it all gets a little messy.
1 min. Kitted out in a very bright red otufit with contrasting dark blue socks, La Roja get the match underway. Germany meanwhile are again in their familiar white shirts and black shorts.
3 mins. Juan-Antonio Pizzi’s team have made a bright start, and much of the early play has been in the German half.
5 mins. Alexis Sánchez makes what looks like a dangerous burst down the left, but is well marshalled by Ginter.
6 mins. Having given away two silly goals against Australia, the German defence are at it again. Mustafi collects a short pass from ter Stegen, and gives the ball straight to Sánchez. The nippy Arsenal winger needs no second invitation, exchanging passes with Arturo Vidal before haring in on goal and beating ter Stegen via the inside of the near post. Mustafi meanwhile is lucky to escape a yellow card or worse with a rash challenge on Vidal. 0-1.
Chile’s Alexis Sánchez celebrates his team’s early goal, having seized on a poor pass from Shkodran Mustafi
8 mins. Draxler takes possession after Chile give the ball away in midfield, and his shot from just outside the box flies narrowly over the crossbar.
10 mins. Chile win a corner out on the right, and Pablo Hernández is able to get a clear sight of goal. His header is weak however, and ter Stegen collects.
12 mins. Some neat passing from the Mannschaft as they look to step things up. Stindl makes good ground and has a half chance, but is flagged offside.
13 mins. More nonsense. Mustafi needlessly gives the ball away again, Ginter’s headed clearance is poor, and Marcelo Diáz is able to get a shot on goal from just inside the penalty area. There’s little power behind it though, and ter Stegen collects.
15 mins. Stindl’s first time shot from just inside the box is well struck, but easily collected by ‘keeper Johnny Herrera.
17 mins. Draxler advances deep into the Chilean with a couple of neat stepovers, and delivers a teasing ball into the box. Kimmich looks to nod it back inside towards Stindl or Goretzka, but slightly mistimes his header and the ball is snaffled up by Herrera.
20 mins. The Chileans are moving nicely outside the German box. Arturo Vidal goes down, but the referee waves play on. The loose ball is picked up by Eduardo Vargas, who hammers a rasping shot that cannons off the underside of the crossbar. Germany manage to clear their lines, but ter Stegen was beaten there. Moments later Stindl is booked for a late challenge on Jean Beausejour.
25 mins. There’s plenty of work to do here. Chile are well on top at the moment, and are showing far more commitment as well as skill and guile.
27 mins. Another lovely flowing move from the men in red. Beausejour finds space down the left and send in a decent looking cross, but Süle clears.
28 mins. Corner for Chile. The ball is only half cleared, and there’s a look of desperation about the German defence. They look like they can be picked open at any moment, and there’s some brief respite as Vidal is called for a foul on FC Bayern team mate Kimmich.
32 mins. Jogi Löw’s team are being put under pressure, and are finding it hard to make any inroads against a tough and disciplined opponent who are chasing every ball. A long ball from Chilean skipper Gary Medel almost finds Sánchez, who cannot quite make up the ground.
35 mins. Süle gets a flailing arm in the face from Charles Aránguiz, and Germany win a free-kick midway inside the Chilean half. The ball is floated for Mustafi who gets a head to it, but there are too many red shirts and Chile clear.
36 mins. Draxler initiates a rare foray into the opposition final third, and Kimmich makes good ground down the right before looping the ball back inside. Can finds space to have a shot from distance, but it flies harmlessly wide of the target.
38 mins. A promising move from Germany breaks down, Chile break, and win a corner as Süle beats Vargas. Nothing comes of it though, and the Mannschaft get some breathing space when Vidal is penalised.
41 mins. Out of nothing, everything clicks into place. A Chilean move breaks down deep in the German half, and Ginter finds Can who has plenty of space to advance up the field. Can charges with purpose into the opposition half, and delivers a perfectly weighted pass to Hector that slices through the Chilean defence. Having timed his run brilliantly, Hector delivers a pin-point cross from the left for Stindl, who gets ahead of Aranguiz to stab the ball home from three yards out. 1-1.
:Lars Stindl is on cue to stab home Jonas Hector’s cross, and Germany are level
45+1 mins. Sánchez is out on the left, and cuts sharply inside a number of white shirts before unleashing a smart right-footed effort. The ball is on target, and ter Stegen dives neatly to his right to make the save. The whistle blows for half time.
In many ways this has been the polar opposite from Germany’s opener against Australia, with La Roja dominating the play. Having seized upon a defensive error the South Americans could have easily extended their advantage, and were caught with the perfect sucker punch as the Mannschaft finally put together a move that counted.
46 mins. Germany get the second half underway.
47 mins. Hernández takes a dive at the edge of the German box, conning the referee into awarding a free kick in a dangerous position.
48 mins. Sánchez looks to bend the free-kick over the wall, but it lands on the roof of the net.
50 mins. Chile play their way out of trouble in the own half, and launch another attack. Vidal looks to find Vargas, but Süle slides in to get a crucial touch.
51 mins. Germany win a free kick at the other end, but Kimmich’s floated ball into the box is easily collected by Herrera. As the play swings quickly back to the German half, Sánchez chases hard but his penalised for a foul on Kimmich.
53 mins. Beausejour finds space down the left flank, but his cross is telegraphed and collected easily by ter Stegen.
55 mins. Another Chilean attack, and right-back Mauricio Isla’s ambitious effort floats over the target.
57 mins. There a couple of loose passes in the middle of the pitch and Draxler gives the ball away to Vargas, but Pizzi’s men are unable to make anything of it.
59 mins. Aránguiz dances down the right and swings in a teasing cross towards –, who
60 mins. Sánchez trips over Rudy’s trailing leg, and the Bayern-bound Hoffenheimer is booked.
61 mins. Chile look to advance again, and Isla’s smart header back into the Germany penalty area is well cleared by Mustafi.
62 mins. Having just clawed back a few brownie points, Mustafi serves up another ball straight to a red shirt. The German defence just about manage to regain their shape, Chile are unable to profit, and the danger passes.
64 mins. Goretzka goes down awkwardly, and the South American champions break forward. The whistle is blown against Sánchez, who kicks the ball away and is booked.
66 mins. The Mannschaft work their way out of their own half with some neat passing, and Rudy is clipped by Diáz. The free kick is floated into the box, and Germany win a corner out on the right after Ginter’s shot is deflected behind. The corner is cleared initially, but worked back into the Chilean box. There’s a Chilean arm with a good grip on Ginter’s shirt in the penalty area, but the officials are all blind to it.
71 mins. Medel has gone down awkwardly, and it doesn’t look good for the Chilean captain. The bench is quickly into action, and Paulo Diáz comes on.
73 mins. Stindl does well to collect a sharp pass from Rudy, and shows quick feet to get a firm shot on goal. It is on target, but Herrera makes the stop and collects.
76 mins. Patient play from the Mannschaft now, and they are starting to find a bit more space. Chile are pressing less, and are probably paying the price for their energetic tactics.
79 mins. Mustafi lifts a decent-looking pass to Kimmich, who looks offside. There’s no flag, and Beausejour is penalised for getting a little too familiar with the FC Bayern man. A bit of luck for Jogi’s Jungs there: there should have been a free-kick to Chile, but Germany have some useful options around twenty-five yards out.
80 mins. Draxler’s free-kick is pretty harmless in the end. It is floated into the box, and Ginter is unable to get any real purchase with his header.
82 mins. Chile make their second change, with Martin Rodriguez replacing Vargas.
85 mins. Is there going to be a final twist to this game? Chile are working things nicely just outside the German box, but Sánchez’s pass is too firm for Isla.
87 mins. Can initiates a German break and Draxler advances into the final third, but Chile recover and clear the danger.
90 mins. The final change of the evening for the South American champions as Aránguiz makes way for Francisco Silva.
90+1 mins. Both teams look fairly settled for a point each here. There will be three additional minutes to play.
90+2 mins. Germany are given time to put a few passes together. Can has a weak effort from distance, and Herrera collects.
90+3 mins. In what is surely the last move of the match, Isla is flagged offside. It was tight, but correct. The full time whistle is blown.
Chile dominated the first half, Germany were able to get back into the contest with a fluid move, and the second half was pretty much an even contest with the Mannschaft edging it. In all, it is probably a fair result that leaves both teams well set to reach the semi-finals. Chile are up against Australia on Sunday while Germany take on Cameroon, and it could be goal difference that determines who meets who in the last four.
Having had a good look at all eight teams in the competition, it is fair to say that this could be a preview of the tournament final.
Kazan Arena, Kazan, 22.06.2017
1-1 (1-1)
Stindl 41. / Sánchez 6.
Germany: ter Stegen – Süle, Mustafi, Ginter – Kimmich, Can, Rudy, Hector – Goretzka, Draxler (c) – Stindl
Chile: Herrera – Isla, Medel (c) (71. P. Diáz), Jara, Beausejour – M. Diáz – Aránguiz (90. Silva), Vidal – Hernández, Vargas (82. Rodriguez), A. Sánchez
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)
Assistants: Reza Sokhandan (Iran), Mohammadreza Mansouri (Iran)
Fourth Official: Mark Geiger (United States)
Video Assistant Referees: Artur Soares Dias (Portugal), Joe Fletcher (Canada)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
Yellow Cards: Stindl, Rudy / Sánchez, Beausejour
Red Cards: – / –
Ball Possession: 51% / 49%
Attempts on Target/Blocked: 6 / 5
Attempts off Target: 3 / 6
Corners: 1 / 4
Fouls Committed: 13 / 18
Attendance: 38,822
Man of the Match: Alexis Sánchez (Chile)