Playful Turks spoil Nagelsmann's home debut
Bitter setback for the German national soccer team on the way to next year's European Championship at home: In an emotional duel with Turkey, national coach Julian Nagelsmann's first international match on home soil was deservedly lost (2:3).
Tactical surprise failed, home debut a failure: National coach Julian Nagelsmann experienced a rude awakening with the German national soccer team in Berlin. In the final stadium of the European Championship, the DFB team lost 2:3 (1:2) against a better B team from Turkey, and the required defensive stability was nowhere to be seen.
Kai Havertz (5), who Nagelsmann had called up with "a lot of imagination" and completely unexpectedly as a left-back, put the hosts ahead. And nine-man Niclas Füllkrug (49) was also on hand again. But Ferdi Kadioglu (38'), Regensburg-born Kenan Yildiz (45.+2) and Yusuf Sari (71') with a penalty after Havertz's handball sent tens of thousands in the Turkish cauldron into ecstasy. It was the first home defeat against Turkey in over 72 years.
"The team knows what to expect," said Nagelsmann, referring above all to the atmosphere. The 45,000 to 50,000 Turkish fans loudly booed the DFB team and, in particular, captain Ilkay Gündogan in his first match against the country of his parents.
However, the German side struck early: After a fine pass from right-back Benjamin Henrichs to Leroy Sane and the latter's pass, Havertz finished ice-cold to make it 1-0. Nagelsmann's surprising plan seemed to work and the national coach raised his fists.
Havertz, he explained on RTL, was "a very good option" at left-back, but of course "not a classic" full-back. The Arsenal professional was much more of a hybrid. When in possession, he rushed forward. But when the Turks came, he dropped back into the back four.
In midfield, Nagelsmann deployed his former Munich protégé Joshua Kimmich alongside Gündogan for the first time. The Bayern professional had been absent due to illness in October, but this time he showed his worth in addition to some ball losses: Sane missed the potential 2-0 after his fine pass (16').
There was a lot of movement in the German attack. At times Sane went upfield, at other times Florian Wirtz dribbled his way through, at other times Julian Brandt pushed deep. Only Füllkrug seemed somewhat uninvolved in all the action.
But the momentum waned after a good 25 minutes. The visitors, who were missing stars such as Hakan Calhanoglu and Cengiz Ünder or the talented Arda Güler, came forward - and how! Thousands of Turkish fans lit up the stadium with their cell phone lights and were soon able to cheer. Henrichs and Sane were not at their posts for the 1:1, which was preceded by a long ball.
Nagelsmann had warned: "We mustn't give up so much space with balls over the top." In vain. At 1:2, Havertz failed to prevent the cross and Henrichs slipped awkwardly in the center. Kevin Trapp, who replaced Marc-Andre ter Stegen (back) in goal, had no chance of defending both times when the European Championship ball "soccer love" struck.
Wirtz drove the ball halfway across the pitch at the start of the second half and found Füllkrug, who scored for the tenth time in his twelfth international match. The German team temporarily gained more control, but lacked ideas going forward.
Turkey were different: Dortmund's Sali Özcan hit the post (53'). When Sari took the penalty, Trapp guessed the corner and was on the ball, but he was unable to prevent the 2:3. Brandt missed the chance to make it 3:3 (74'). Marvin Ducksch celebrated his international debut in the closing stages.
Source: www.ntv.de
