‘Red Devils’ Belgium won by 1 point after a slugfest in the ‘Tank Corps’ Germany expedition. Belgian star De Bruyne played the best with 1 goal and 2 assists. Germany suffered a disappointing defeat at home as their sloppy defensive line allowed 3 runs.
The Belgian national football team (ranked 4th in FIFA rankings) defeated Germany (ranked 14th in FIFA rankings) 3-2 in a friendly A match held at the Rein Energy Stadium in Cologne, Germany on the 29th (Korean time). Manchester City star De Bruyne led the team to victory with the winning goal and two assists.
Germany was eliminated in the group stage at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year. Losing 1-2 in the group stage match against Japan was a fatal blow. Belgium was also disappointing at the World Cup in Qatar. Belgium failed to advance to the round of 16 as the players of the ‘golden generation’ were aging. After the World Cup, Belgium appointed a new coach and is focusing on a generational change.
In the 6th minute of the first half, Carrasco scored the opening goal with his right foot with the help of De Bruyne in a counterattack situation. He aimed for the space behind Germany’s wide defense. German defender Wolf was too easily broken in a matchup with Carrasco. Belgium’s second goal was scored by Lukaku in the 9th minute. De Bruyne’s through pass was kicked by Lukaku with his left foot. Belgium took an early 2-0 lead.
Belgium came out with a 4-3-3 format. New Belgian coach Tedesco from Germany has Carrasco-Lukaku-Lukebakio in the front, Mangala-Onana-De Bruyne in the back, Teate-Vertonghen-Paes-Castagne in the back four, and goalkeeper Castil. built a s
Germany, who was hit with multiple goals too early, was shaken in the balance of offense and defense in the beginning of the game. Dangerous situations arose one after another. The pressure on the front line was loose. In the battle of the waist, they were completely pushed back by Belgium. De Bruyne, the Belgian midfield commander, continued the pass connection as he pleased. The German four-back defense gave up space at the level of an automatic gate.
Flick’s Germany played in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Werner was placed in the front line, Wirz-Fulkrug-Gnabry in the back line, Goretzka-Kimich as a defensive midfielder, Raum-Kerer-Ginter-Wolf in the back four, and Ter Stegen as goalkeeper.
In the 19th minute of the first half, Belgium took the lead, and Luquebacchio scored an extra goal with a ridiculous shot miss in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. Lukaku’s header hit the German post in the 21st minute.
Germany also had bad luck with injuries. In the 32nd minute of the first half, midfielder Goretzka was substituted with Silvermecha due to ankle pain. In addition, Emre Zhan was also put in as a joker. He aimed to change the atmosphere with an early replacement card. But Germany didn’t do anything right in the first half. There was no structure in attack or defense. The attack was too obvious, and the defense was sloppy. The German players were systematically out of sync. They couldn’t play the game as a team in midfield, and they couldn’t surpass Belgium in individual skills. Coach Flick on the bench showed a look of bewilderment. In the 41st minute of the first half, Wolf’s shot went straight to the Belgian goalkeeper.
In the 42nd minute of the first half, Germany had a chance to take a penalty due to Lukaku’s handball foul in a corner kick situation. Fulkrug kicked in and chased 1-2. The first half ended with Germany drawn.
At the beginning of the second half, Belgium replaced Vertonghen and replaced Salemacus. Germany, which was greatly shaken in the first half, had a high ball possession rate at the beginning of the second half. The attack unraveled as Germany gained the upper hand in a back-and-forth.
In the 12th minute of the second half, Belgium tried to change the mood by introducing Trosar and Bakayoko as jokers. Belgium replaced Deketelayer in the 22nd minute, and Germany replaced Quinter.
In the 24th minute of the second half, Kimmich’s ground ball mid-range shot was blocked by the opponent’s goalkeeper. Germany, who took the lead in the game, continued to harass the Belgian defense line. Germany pounded the left and right flanks of Belgium. Belgium was in a hurry to defend. And sometimes they do quick counterattacks. Belgium’s counterattack worked. In the 33rd minute of the second half, De Bruyne received a through pass from Trosar and finished it with his left foot. Belgium ran away 3-1.
Germany, which became desperate, even put in Sade, Berisha, and Bagnoman, and Belgium put in Offenda and Labia. In the 39th minute of the second half, Gnabry’s left-footed shot slightly missed the post after a fantastic breakthrough. As defeat deepened, German fans began to leave the stadium. Germany, who did not give up, caught up with Gnabry in the 42nd minute of the second half. However, there was not enough time before the equalizer. Belgium beat Germany 3-2. Belgium, led by Tedesco, went on a two-game winning streak. 메이저놀이터
Meanwhile, in the Euro 2024 qualifier that took place in Europe that day, Scotland gave birth to a surprise victory over Spain 2-0 at home. Croatia won 2-0 away from Turkiye. Switzerland defeated Israel 3-0 at home.