Friday’s game against Gibraltar sharpened the media focus on Germany’s current poor form, but perhaps even more worryingly it saw two more players join the already significant injury list. Both goalkeeping titan Manuel Neuer and defensive rock Jérôme Boateng were
Germany v Gibraltar: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
When your team wins 4-0, there is usually no reason to complain. Yet the reaction in Germany after their fourth game in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 would see plenty of consternation and more hand-wringing. The Nationalmannschaft had registered
Germany v Republic of Ireland: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
When the draw was made for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, nobody would be questioning Germany’s dominance. Even before their World Cup triumph in Brazil, their place in France would be more or less guaranteed. There would be little to fear
Poland v Germany: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
History would be made in Warsaw as the recently-crowned world Champions took on Poland in Warsaw, but not in the way anyone had expected. Lukas Podolski wouldn’t return to the land of his birth would score a hat-trick and take
Germany v Argentina: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
In the wake of Germany’s last home game – in early June against Armenia in Mainz – everything would be still up in the air. The team had overcome a sluggish start to defeat their opponents 6-1, and days that
Di María rains on Germany’s parade
So, it’s the start of a new international season, and a World Cup final rematch between the Nationalmannschaft and Argentina in Düsseldorf. It’s a new-look German team with some new combinations as Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw looks to build for the
Dropping like flies again
I have always been in two minds about the international season starting so early, particularly during a World Cup year. Despite it being almost two months after the Nationalmannschaft’s triumph in Rio there is still something of a sluggishness, with
A World Cup encore, then down to business
It has now been over a month since Germany’s historic victory over Argentina in the World Cup final in Rio, and it still seems like yesterday. The memories are still warm, but the time has come for the start of
The Post-Tournament School Report
The victorious German team are back home or on holiday, the World Cup trophy is safely in the locker for another four years, and it’s now time for what will be one of most memorable tournament post-mortems. The recent retirement
Brazil v Germany: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
Coming into the semi-final against Brazil at the Estadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, Germany would be the bookies’ favourites. But only just. When the match kicked off the first ten minutes saw Brazil edge the opening tussles, with Jogi Löw’s
The Beast Awakens: Brazil brushed aside in Belo Horizonte
We’re all set in Belo Horizonte, with Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw keeping things simple and my pre-match tittle-tattle short by naming the same side that had beaten France four days earlier. Confidence is high and the defensive midfield duo fit and
Seventh Heaven
Have no fear, the match reports are coming… But during yesterday’s game I just couldn’t keep up with the “live” commentary as the goals kept flooding in. As soon as I started to put together the description of one another