2-0 against Peru: DFB-Elf starts the international game year with a win

DThe first step has been taken – mainly thanks to Niklas Fülkrug. With four and five goals for the national team, the Bremen striker has been instrumental in ensuring that the national team can give their fans an enjoyable evening of football 114 days after a bitter 2-0 (2-0) defeat at the World Cup in Qatar. ) win against the build-up of Peru’s opponents.

In front of 25,358 spectators at the Mainz Arena, Hansi Flick’s completely revamped team, with three debutants around the dynamic Dortmund player Marius Wolf, met the main requirements of the national coach: under the leadership of captain Joshua Kimmich, they demonstrated determination, will, defensive stability and at least in the form of a central Fülkrug striker (12th/33rd minutes), as well as the lack of efficiency in the World Cup tournament. Substitute and very dynamic Serge Gnabry hit the crossbar spectacularly after the break (60 min), playful Kai Havertz converted a penalty to the post (68 min).

After all, victory over the limited Peruvians was never in danger. Already on Tuesday, there will be a showdown with a stronger opponent in Cologne on the way to the home European Championship 2024 against Belgium.

After two days of huge fuss at Bayern over coaches Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel, Kimmich was the only Munich professional to start – a rarity in DFB selection. Flick’s personnel and tactical changes with Fülkrug and Timo Werner as the new double leader paid off early on.

The Werder striker, who had just failed after a cross from a strong and often challenging Peruvian goalkeeper, Pedro Gallese, scored after a strong pass from Havertz, who delivered an exemplary long chest pass. More presence in the penalty area and more speed in attacking play were Flick’s two demands after the ignominious end of the World Cup. “We want to see passion, we want to see exciting football and conviction,” the national coach said shortly before kick-off at the ZDF.

Confident and purposeful

The fact that, almost four months after the last World Cup group game against Costa Rica, “not everything could have worked” has also been repeatedly confirmed. In some places there was a lack of accuracy in the construction and, as with the missed double chance of Florian Wirtz and Werner, who were injured during the World Cup, the last determination in front of the gate in the 20th minute. After the lead, the choice of DFB seemed much more confident and determined. The new number one, Marc-André ter Stegen, barely had to intervene in the German goal. Fans and DFB management loved it.

New sports director Rudi Völler, DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke watched the game side by side in the stands and were clearly in good spirits, while Flick’s predecessor Joachim Löw was also in the stadium. Iskra should jump to the fans, Neuendorf said. However, the fans of the world No. 21 were especially vocal in the sold-out Mainz arena. hear Peru. In particular, the German entourage noted clogged jugs.

Füllkrug also makes Völler smile

Used by Havertz, the increasingly stronger Wolff, who initially inserted himself with a bad pass (3rd), crossed into the box – and Fühlkrug ran to where the scorer should be and scored for the fifth time in the fifth international match. Once an admired striker himself, Völler smiled as the national team celebrated a goal. Fülkrug almost scored a hat-trick just before the break, but Luis Advinkula prevented the Bremen shot (44′). Once again, Havertz was the initiator.

Flick made three substitutions in the second half: Leon Goretzka, Gnabry and Mario Götze replaced Emre Can, Werner and Wirtz. The other five rookies in the DFB team, along with Wolf, initially had to show patience – Mergim Berisha and Kevin Sade only came to the final stage. Gnabry had to take longer to heal after colliding with Gallese shortly after the restart, the 27-year-old left the pitch with a nosebleed but returned.

By this point, the DFB selection had lost some of the momentum of the first half, with the game suffering from many interruptions and discussions between both teams, including referee Maria Caputi. Gnabry’s side kick from Kimmich’s crossbar after an hour of play raised hopes for more goals, which Havertz missed from the penalty spot. Nico Schlotterbeck converted the penalty. The DFB selection continued to play for the third goal, but again did not reward itself.

Source: Frantfurter Allgemeine

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