Germany, the host country of Euro 2024, experienced an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Japan in a well disposed match on Saturday, projecting questions over their structure and mentor Hansi Flick’s future in front of the competition. Japan, who had additionally beaten Germany 2-1 in the World Cup bunch stage last year, scored two objectives in every half to stagger the home group in Wolfsburg.
The outcome was Germany’s third sequential misfortune and their fourth in five matches, leaving them with just four successes in their last 17 international games. The four-time world heroes have been in a descending winding since their shocking World Cup exit, and Flick’s arrangement as the replacement of Joachim Low has neglected to resuscitate their fortunes.
Germany chief Ilkay Gundogan conceded that Japan were the better group and that his side committed such a large number of individual errors. “We must tell the truth and say that Japan were better. They let the ball run, they played the right spaces, cut out their objectives. They were better,” he said. “We are simply not sufficient right now. That is the truth. Perhaps we even think we are better than we are.”
Germany coming up short on clear arrangement, certainty, and energy during the match, while Japan played with speed, accuracy, and enthusiasm. Junya Ito opened the scoring for Japan in the eleventh moment, tapping in a low cross from Yukinari Sugawara at the far post. Germany leveled in the nineteenth moment through Leroy Sane, who completed a smooth passing move with a left-footed shot.
In any case, Japan reestablished their lead only three minutes later, when Ayase Ueda wrong-footed Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a flawless completion after a sharp drop down the right wing. Ter Stegen made a few recoveries to keep Germany in the game, denying Ueda, Takuma Asano, and Kaoru Mitoma from close range.
Japan fixed their triumph with two late objectives from Asano and Ao Tanaka in the 90th minute. Asano opened in to rehash Japan’s success over Germany at the World Cup, while Tanaka headed home a fourth objective in stoppage time as scoffs and whistles came down from the stands.
Flick, who had vowed to play his center group and hold his trial approach, wouldn’t withdraw after the game and demanded he was as yet the perfect supervisor for Germany. “I believe we’re getting along nicely – – and I’m the perfect chief. However, I realize things can change in professional football and I can’t understand what’s to come,” he said.
Germany will confront World Cup finalists France in their next agreeable match on Tuesday in Dortmund, expecting to return from this humiliating presentation and recover some certainty before Euro 2024. Japan, in the mean time, will commend their noteworthy success and anticipate their World Cup qualifying campaign.
