Germany can work towards the start of the European Championship with an excellent feeling. The team of national coach Joachim Löw recorded a 7-1 victory over Latvia in his goodbye match, through goals from Robin Gosens, Ilkay Gundogan, Thomas Müller, Kai Havertz, Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner and Leroy Sané. Germany opens the European Championship next Tuesday with a match in the Allianz Arena against France.
Before the friendly match in Düsseldorf, Manuel Neuer entered the field through a guard of honor, because he was under the bar for the hundredth time with Germany. In the Bayern Munich goalkeeper’s anniversary game, it was one-way traffic towards the other goal from the first whistle. After attempts by Müller and Havertz had not yet yielded any goals, the Mannschaft lead with nineteen minutes on the clock. Gosens set up the attack himself, got the ball back from Havertz and shot his first international goal against the ropes.
The Germans are having a good time! ??
Half Dutchman Gosens opens the score and barely a minute later Gündogan rams in the second, 2??-0??#ZiggoSport #Football #GermanyLatvia pic.twitter.com/3eskte2GIs
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) June 7, 2021
Just two minutes later, Germany doubled the margin. Gundogan tried to set up a combination on the edge of the penalty area, but got the ball back via a Latvian leg and then fired the leather into the left corner behind the hopeless goalkeeper Roberts Ozols. Within half an hour, Germany raised the margin to three. Gnabry passed the ball to Gosens within the penalty area, who in turn found the overrun Müller. The Bayern Munich attacking midfielder convincingly scored his first goal since his return to the German national team.
In the final phase of the first half, Germany increased the pace for a while. Müller served Havertz, who was given all the time and space within the penalty area. The Chelsea attacking midfielder eventually put the ball between Ozols’ legs into the goal. The final chord of the first half came in the name of Gnabry, although that goal was partly due to Mats Hummels. The defender, who returned to the German national team like Müller, found Gnabry with a measured pass with the outside of the right foot, after which the Bayern Munich attacker hit hard within the box.
Wow, wow, WOW??
It is now becoming very humiliating for Latvia. Gnabry makes it 5-0 just before halftime, but what about the assist from Mats Hummels ????#ZiggoSport #Football #GermanyLatvia pic.twitter.com/P71MHb7ADR
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) June 7, 2021
After the break, Latvia kept the goal clean for only four minutes. A low cross from Joshua Kimmich was tapped in at the near post by substitute Timo Werner. Shortly afterwards, the Chelsea striker failed to score his second goal of the evening when his header went against a Latvian defender. Substitute Sané also failed to increase the score twice. After opportunities for Müller and Hummels, Latvia suddenly did something back fifteen minutes before the end. A long shot from Aleksejs Saveljevs flew into the left corner behind Neuer.
The goal turned out not to be the starting signal for Latvia to come back further in the match, because a minute later it was hit again on the other side. Müller was given space to turn within the penalty area and was therefore able to bring Sané into position, who hit from within the five-meter area. It turned out to be the final chord of the entertaining duel, as there were no more goals in the last ten minutes.