Euro 2016 Qualifier Preview: Germany -v- Poland

• Macdara Ferris
• Thu, Sep 03 2015




Extratime.ie will be covering the Group D clash between Germany and Poland from Frankfurt on Friday. Our reporter Macdara Ferris will be in the Commerzbank Arena to take us through the match build-up and the game itself (see here). He was there earlier for today's Germany press conference and here is his match preview.

 

 

GERMANY

When Germany and Poland last met, it was an historic night in Warsaw with Germany losing to the Poles for the very first time. Joachim Löw’s team went on to drop further points against Ireland in Gelsenkirchen in their next game. So the World Champions welcome neighbours and Group D leaders Poland to Frankfurt on Friday (kick off 7.45pm) under some pressure seeking a win that would send them top of the table ahead of their trip to Scotland next week.

 

The German manager Joachim Löw, speaking to the press in the shadow of the stands of the Commerzbank Arena at midday on the eve of the game, acknowledged to the assembled press including Extratime.ie that there is a certain burden of expectation on his team.

 

“Compared to other situations in qualifying campaigns, this is different,” said Löw. “In other campaigns we have led the pack, so this is different to the past.” 

 

With ten successful European campaigns, Germany (including West German teams) have only missed out once on the finals and that was the very first tournament in 1968. Indeed in nine of those ten successful campaigns, they have won the group and if they are to do so again, a win on Friday will go a long way to helping them top the table at the end of qualification. They currently trail Poland by a point with two double header matches remaining.

 

“There are always pressure situations in campaigns. There is going to be a lot of spice in the last four games but we have to use it as motivation rather than think about pressure.

 

“The last year has been anything but easy. We have had problems. We have been in a bit of a hole but need to go forward again now. We are short of points, having lost two to Ireland and three to Poland.”

 

The high of winning the World Cup in Brazil has been replaced for Germany, who are now third in the FIFA rankings, with somewhat of a struggle in a very competitive Group D European Championship Group.

 

“It has made this autumn hot for us. We are under pressure to book our place in France. Our backs are not at the wall though, because I still have confidence in this group of players. I knew the post World Cup phase would be difficult; emotionally and psychologically difficult for the players.”

 

His team will be without the injured Sami Khedira and Marco Reus, who has withdrawn from the squad with a fractured toe. Löw confirmed that Mesut Ozil, who had been carrying a knock, will play and that Mario Götze will start the game.

 

At the press conference Götze also gave his thoughts on the match and the task that awaits them against their neighbours. “Poland are a tough opponent,” said Götze the scorer of the World Cup winning goal last year. 

 

"They have an enormous amount of quality and are strong defensively, which they showed in Warsaw last year. The loss was a huge blow and we want to turn that around in the game tomorrow. We want to show that there are no points up for grabs for Poland. Robert Lewandowski has everything that a centre forward needs, he is world class."

 

 

POLAND

While there are six players plying their trade in the Bundesliga in Poland’s squad for this game against Germany, all eyes are on Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich striker is the top scorer across all the qualifying groups, with seven goals, going into this weekend’s game.

 

Mario Götze described the striker on Thursday as having "everything that a centre forward needs, he is world class."

 

The 2-0 Polish win over the Germans last October significantly altered the campaign showing Germany’s fallibility which Ireland exploited a few days later in the 1-1 draw in Gelsenkirchen. The victory in Warsaw was Poland’s first win in 19 attempts over Germany. Lewandowski acknowledged that it also altered Germany’s view of his own team and they are definitely out for revenge.

 

“Germany look at us differently now,” said Lewandowski speaking previously about that 2-0 win. “They respect us. I don't think they will swarm all over us from the beginning as they know we could hit them on the counterattack.

 

“My team-mates from Bayern told me after the first match, they would do everything to take revenge in the second game. I live in Germany and I can tell nobody is even contemplating missing out on the Euro finals. The only question is whether they will finish top of the group or runners-up.”

 

Arkadiusz Milik meanwhile has the most assists in France 2016 qualification, with four from the six games he has played. The Ajax player has also scored four goals including, along with Sebastian Mila, a goal in that 2-0 win in Germany earlier in the campaign.

 

Manager Adam Nawalka was part of the Poland side who drew 0-0 with West Germany in Buenos Aires in the 1978 World Cup.  This match gives the 57-year-old head coach a chance to make more history – by becoming the first manager to lead a Polish team to victory in Germany.

 

The other German-based players in the Polish squad are Pawel Olkowski and Slawomir Peszko (both Cologne), Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski (both Borussia Dortnumd) and Stuttgart keeper Przemyslaw Tyton.

 

Poland will be particularly focused on this game as on Monday they welcome Gibraltar to the National Stadium in Warsaw in a match they are expected to win easily.

 

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)

 

 

MATCH STATS

Germany have beaten Poland on twelve occasions with six drawn games and just that one defeat when the sides met earlier in Warsaw last October. At home, Germany are unbeaten in the last 20 qualifiers, stretching back eight years, winning 16 of them.

 

Joachim Löw will take charge of Germany in Frankfurt for what will be his 123rd game managing his national team. Löw had a stint in the city with Eintracht Frankfurt during his playing career. Germany’s last home qualifier in the city was a 0-0 draw against Wales back in 2007.

 

Poland are the only unbeaten side left in Group D having won four and drawing two games including one in Dublin – they have also scored the most goals and conceded the fewest. Away from home, in addition to the draw in the Aviva, they have won in both Gibraltar and Georgia. That is a vast improvement on 2014 World Cup qualification when they only managed one away win which was against minnows San Marino.

 

BETTING

Germany 2/7; Draw 9/2; Poland 9/1.

 

PREDICTION

2-0 home win.

 

 

Germany

Injured: Sami Khedira, Marco Reus.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

 

Poland

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: Kamil Glik.