The World Cup finals in Brazil may be just around the corner, but soon after the final whistle blows in the Maracana the qualifying process for the Euro 2016 tournament in France will begin. Today the draw for the qualifying groups was made, with Germany meeting some old friends and some very, very new ones in what looks like a very manageable and interesting group of six.
Placed in Group D, the Nationalmannschaft will face off against Poland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Georgia and first-time participants Gibraltar.
At the time of the draw being made, Germany had played a total of twelve international tournament qualifying matches against four of these five opponents – winning eight and drawing four; their record in such fixtures against these five teams is as follows:
Poland
3-1 UEFA European Championship 1972 Qualifier (10.10.1971, Warszawa)
0-0 UEFA European Championship 1972 Qualifier (17.11.1971, Hamburg)
Qualifying Match Record: P2 W1 D1 L0 F3 A1
Republic of Ireland
1-0 UEFA European Championship 2008 Qualifier (02.09.2006, Stuttgart)
0-0 UEFA European Championship 2008 Qualifier (13.10.2007, Dublin)
6-1 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 2014 (12.10.2012, Dublin)
3-0 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 2014 (11.10.2013, Köln)
Qualifying Match Record: P4 W3 D1 L0 F10 A1
Scotland
1-1 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 1970 (16.04.1969, Glasgow)
3-2 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 1970 (22.10.1969, Hamburg)
1-1 FIFA European Championship 2004 Qualifier (07.06.2003, Glasgow)
2-1 UEFA European Championship 2004 Qualifier (10.09.2003, Dortmund)
Qualifying Match Record: P4 W2 D2 L0 F7 A5
Georgia
2-0 UEFA European Championship 1996 Qualifier (29.03.1995, Tbilisi)
4-1 UEFA European Championship 1996 Qualifier (06.09.1995, Nürnberg)
Qualifying Match Record: P2 W2 D0 L0 F6 A1
Gibraltar
First meeting
Qualifying Match Record: P0 W0 D0 L0 F0 A0
Overall Record v 2014 WCQ Group Opponents: P12 W8 D4 L0 F28 A8
While Germany and neighbours Poland have met in final tournaments in recent years (Euro 2008, World Cup 2006), it will be the first time in over four decades that the two countries have been grouped together in the same qualifying group. In stark contrast, the Republic of Ireland can be considered familiar opponents, with Joachim Löw’s side dishing out 6-1 and 3-0 thrashings in qualifying for this year’s World Cup finals.
Scotland have provided stiff opposition for the Germans in their four meetings in qualifying competition and the two teams will meet in a competitive international for the first time since being drawn together in qualifying for Euro 2004, while one has to go back almost twenty years to find the Mannschaft’s last competitive meeting against Georgia in 1995 – en route to winning the tournament in 1996.
Then there is Gibraltar, who are making their debut in international competition after being admitted to UEFA in May 2013.
Once again, history suggests that Germany should ease themselves into the final tournament with very little trouble – though one cannot underestimate the spirited Irish and Scottish sides, the hot-and-cold Poles and the unpredictable Georgians.
Once the fixtures have been arranged, the new page will of course be set up on the main website.