Poland vs. Germany: Score, Grades and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier

Poland defeated Germany in a competitive match for the first time in history on Saturday, winning 2-0 and capping off a wild third matchday of Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Die Mannschaft became the second top nation to see an unbeaten streak in international qualifiers spanning several years ruined, just two days after Spain lost 2-1 to Slovakia.

Goal's Cristian Nyari shared the many streaks that came to and end on Saturday:

The world champions dictated the pace of the match from the start, with Poland looking lively on the counter-attack. Thomas Muller and Kamil Glik had some words after a minor altercation that saw the Torino man strike the German's throat.

Robert Lewandowski wanted a penalty after 15 minutes for a clumsy challenge from Antonio Rudiger, but the official waved off the call. Mats Hummels nearly scored the opening goal minutes later, but Glik got in an important block.

Alik Keplicz/Associated Press

Jerome Boateng was lucky only to see a yellow for a nasty challenge on Grzegorz Krychowiak, as he appeared to kick the Pole in the groin. The first half continued at a slow place, but debutant Karim Bellarabi came close to scoring for the visitors five minutes before half-time, directing his shot just wide.

Germany had several chances to take the lead late in the first half, but Muller was just too slow on the ball, allowing Glik to intervene. Bellarabi also had an excellent shot saved by Wojciech Szczesny.

As shared by Sport.pl, Germany's attacking dominance was quite visible in the shot chart:

Germany continued dominating possession early in the second half but were stunned after just five minutes, as Arkadiusz Milik headed the ball past Manuel Neuer. Via WhoScored.com, it was the hosts' first shot on target:

The visitors immediately reacted through Ballerabi, who found Mario Gotze in the box. The Bayern Munich man found some space with a nifty move, only for Szczesny to produce a fantastic save.

Germany continued to press, but Szczesny was unmoved. Andre Schurrle, Muller and Bellarabi all should have scored, but the Arsenal stopper was in phenomenal form. Bleacher Report UK's Jerrad Peters was impressed:

Poland were now fully aiming for the counter, and Lewandowski was nearly isolated in front of Neuer, before a fantastic tackle from Hummels denied the striker.

With 10 minutes left to play, the Germans pressed forward with all of their might. Bellarabi found the inevitable Szczesny in his path before Lukas Podolski rattled the crossbar with a volley.

And just as it looked like Germany's unrelenting pressure would yield results, a perfect counter decided the match. Lewandowski used his body well to free up Sebastian Mila, who converted from short range.

As shared by Squawka, they were on the verge of making history:

Germany hadn't lost a European qualifier since 2007, but in the final five minutes, they could muster too little to save their streak. Poland celebrated their first ever win over their neighbours, while the reigning world champions made their way off the pitch in a hurry.

Grades

Wojciech Szczesny: A+

He may not be the most consistent stopper in the world, but when he's on his game, Szczesny is as close to unbeatable as it gets. Bellarami will have nightmares of the Pole, seeing a multitude of great chances denied by the Arsenal man.

Kamil Glik: B+

Glik may only ply his trade for Torino in Serie A, but the defender is built for these kind of matches. Tough, physical and always active, he appeared to stand in the way every time a German attacker had a shot on goal.

Karim Bellarabi: C

The Bayer Leverkusen forward flashed all of the potential that led to his call-up on Saturday, and there's little doubt he will play a big part in Germany's future. But his inability to finish even one of the team's many chances greatly hurt Die Mannschaft, leading directly to the team's first qualifying loss since 2007.

Post-Match Reaction

Neuer told reporters after the match he and his teammates wouldn't worry after one loss against a good team, via DW Sports:

Manager Joachim Low rued the many missed chances his team had:

Post-Match Outlook

Poland lead Group D on points together with the Republic of Ireland and took a strong option on qualification for Euro 2016 with the win against Germany. Die Mannschaft won't gift too many points to their rivals, so it will be up to the Poles to make the difference head-to-head against the Irish squad.

Germany suffered the same fate as Spain, but with a long qualifying campaign still ahead and two difficult fixtures already out of the way (Poland and Scotland), Low will see no reason to panic.