"And...breathe. It was tense. It was difficult. But Germany prevailed in a must-win match away to Northern Ireland, winning 1-0 thanks to Nick Woltemade managing to squeeze the ball over the line with his shoulder. The three points were all that mattered and that it what the 2014 World Cup champions delivered, but this performance will be unlikely to stem worries about the team as a whole."
"Nico Schlotterbeck had just come back from a 5 month long injury. During the time the Borussia Dortmund dender was out, Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rüdiger the center back duo for Germany and received an incredible amount of heat for their poor performances. The Real Madrid center back missed this game due to injury, but the difference between having Schlotterbeck on the field and not having him on the field was noticeable for all."
"He was mostly solid on defense, too, though one cannot help but notice that Tah and Schlottbeck were not quite on the same wavelength at times. In the 88th minute, for example, Schlotterbeck stood his ground in the face of an attack but Tah followed the attacker, lifting the offside trap, removing the former SC Freiburg defender from the equation and leading to a big chance for the home side to score."
Germany secured a 1-0 away victory over Northern Ireland as Nick Woltemade squeezed the ball over the line with his shoulder. The win provided three crucial points, yet the overall display failed to fully reassure about team cohesion and defensive stability. Daniel Ballard anchored Northern Ireland’s defense, winning five of eight aerial duels and seven of ten ground duels while handling pressure from Woltemade. Nico Schlotterbeck returned from five months out and noticeably improved Germany’s ball play, calmly leading buildup with precise passes. Defensive misunderstandings with Jonathan Tah, including an 88th-minute moment, nearly cost a goal.
Read at Bavarian Football Works
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