With a grim expression, Joshua Kimmich ran past the waiting journalists after the 3:3 (0:0) draw against England. Not a word from the captain about the game, who got on the waiting bus, visibly annoyed. Niklas Süle, on the other hand, stopped and summed it up: “I think we lost a lot of turnovers today,” said the central defender. “We did really well to make it 2-0, but then it mustn’t happen like that.”
The DFB-Elf gave up the game after taking the lead and were still able to fight for a draw in the end. “The anger outweighs,” said DFB director Oliver Bierhoff. “In the end we came back and showed morale. But we should have brought more home.”
After a game characterized by few chances and some unplanned and unimaginative attempts to attack by the DFB-Elf in the first half, the team of national coach Hansi Flick fought for a 2-0 lead in the second round. A fatal error by England defender Harry Maguire ensured that Ilkay Gündogan was allowed to put the ball on the penalty spot in the 53rd minute and then put it in the goal. Maguire had previously kicked the ball into Jamal Musiala’s feet and then knocked him down from the penalty spot.
Flick: “We still have to do a lot better”
With his two goals, Kai Havertz put the DFB team in the lead for a while
With the leadership in the back, the DFB-Elf acted a little more courageously. Above all, Musiala whirled up the English defense with his fast dribbles. The 19-year-old continued his good performances of the past few weeks, enlivened the German game and initiated the Flick-Elf’s second goal by winning the ball in his own penalty area. Substitute Timo Werner sent the ball to Kai Havertz, who sunk the ball into the left corner from 20 meters with a lot of feeling. “It was a sensationally nice goal,” Flick praised his attacker and added: “It’s important that we have moments like this. A lot of things were good today, but there are still a lot of things that we need to do better.”
Because the attempt to take the lead home with us failed and showed how fragile the German structure is at the moment. First Luke Shaw was criminally left alone at the connecting gate on the left side of England. Then Bukayo Saka walked unhindered through the German midfield and put Mason Mount, who was also on the bench, to equalize.
Englishman Mason Mount (left) scores the 2-2 equalizer against Germany
And it got even worse: After a foul by Nico Schlotterbeck on BVB colleague Jude Bellingham, there was a penalty that Harry Kane certainly converted. Germany lost everything in eleven minutes. “We didn’t defend well and conceded three goals here that shouldn’t be allowed to fall like this,” said Süle. The impending defeat was then prevented again by Havertz, who was one of the better players that evening alongside Musiala.
Müller: “I don’t care how I feel”
There are still almost six weeks until the start of the World Cup in Qatar. The hopes of Flick and his coaching team are now also on the club teams. Because there the players have to get the necessary self-confidence and get in shape before the start of the World Cup.
Flick will observe this process, but the national coach has no choice. “We know where we stand because we have a great team. But everyone still has to work on themselves,” said Süle. For Thomas Müller, who came on as a substitute in the second half that evening, it was clear: “The feelings we have today will not be decisive for how we go into the first World Cup game. Accordingly, I have the feeling it doesn’t matter what we have today.”
