Gibraltar vs. Germany: Score, Grades and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier
Germany entered Saturday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Gibraltar a disappointing third in Group D, but by virtue of an easy 7-0 victory at Estadio Algarve in Portugal, they vaulted into second and are now just one point behind Poland.
With that victory, Germany were also able to bounce back from a shocking 2-1 friendly loss to the United States Wednesday, although the early part of Saturday's match was a frustrating one for the heavy favorites.
The expectation entering the David versus Goliath clash was that the defending World Cup champions would absolutely eviscerate the overmatched underdogs. Infostrada Sports went so far as to point out the largest margins of victory in team Germany and international soccer history:
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Die Mannschaft breezed to a 4-0 victory over Gibraltar at home late last year in their first meeting of Euro qualifying, so a precedent was already set for the hosts putting up a fight.
Their mettle was quite apparent throughout the first half as they looked like they belonged on the same pitch as the No. 1 team in FIFA's world rankings.
The Germans appeared poised to take an early 1-0 lead in the ninth minute when defender Jonas Hector was hauled down in the box, thus earning midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger a penalty kick.
Unfortunately for the visitors, his attempt was read perfectly by Gibraltar goalkeeper Jordan Perez, who turned the low shot away.
Patrick Galey of Agence France-Presse put the save into perspective by comparing the respective resumes of Schweinsteiger and Perez:
Perez continued to stand tall, but he couldn't keep Germany off the board completely as Andre Schurrle deposited the ball past him to put the Germans ahead 1-0 in the 28th minute.
One might have assumed that the floodgates would have burst open at that point, but it wasn't the case as Germany and Gibraltar were evenly matched for the remainder of the half. While Germany won the shots-on-goal battle 8-3, the minnows actually had more possession than the best squad in the entire world during the opening half.
After Gibraltar managed to yield just a single goal in the first half, David Garrido of Sky Sports couldn't help but be impressed:
Despite holding the lead, it was a somewhat embarrassing half for head coach Joachim Low and his team. His halftime speech must have fired up the previously flat Nationalelf, though, as they came out firing in the second.
Max Kruse, who came on for World Cup hero Mario Gotze in the 35th minute, scored just two minutes into the second half off a gorgeous Ozil pass to give Germany a 2-0 advantage.
That lead was extended in the 51st minute when midfielder Ilkay Gundogan scored, and midfielder Karim Bellarabi added another six minutes later when Perez mistakenly ventured too far to prevent a corner kick.
The hits kept coming for Germany in the 65th minute as Schurrle scored his second of the match—he cleaned up the rebound created by a Gundogan shot.
The VfL Wolfsburg star wasn't done there, though, as he completed the hat-trick in the 71st minute, while Ozil registered his third helper of the match on the play as well to make it 6-0.
Per Squawka Football, Ozil seemed to be operating with a sixth sense as he constantly found his teammates in scoring positions:
Germany were in such firm control of the match after that goal that Low even had some time for personal maintenance, according to Marcus Christenson of the Guardian:
The match was already decided by the time Schurrle beat the 'keeper for a third time, but the Germans put a cherry atop their victory in the 81st minute when Kruse scored his second goal and completed the 7-0 rout.
Saturday's match was a tale of two halves for Germany as the side looked equal to Gibraltar in the first 45 minutes before demonstrating world-champion form in the latter 45.
It is difficult to say if a dominant performance against a low-level team will act as a launching pad for the Germans in what has been a sub-par qualifying campaign for them to this point, but things certainly seem to be clicking for DFB-Elf.
Key Player Grades
Andre Schurrle (Germany): A
It took some time for the German machine to get rolling, but Schurrle was the catalyst as he scored the first and only goal of the first half. He was also dangerous throughout the second and displayed great positioning when he scored off a Gundogan rebound and then added one more for good measure. He may not have faced the highest level of competition, but a hat-trick against any team is hugely impressive.
Jordan Perez (Gibraltar): B
While it may seem bizarre to give a goalkeeper who allowed seven goals a grade of B, Perez is the only reason why Germany didn't challenge their all-time winning-margin record of 16-0. He was nearly unbeatable in the first half, and he even managed to stop a penalty kick cleanly. Things unraveled in the second half as his defenders were run ragged, but the unheralded 28-year-old still deserves credit.
Mesut Ozil (Germany): A
Ozil didn't find the back of the net Saturday, but he did what he has always done best as he set up his teammates and made them look good. The Arsenal star registered a trio of assists and constantly served the ball up on a silver platter, especially in the second half. Germany are stacked with elite players, and Ozil was the straw that stirred the drink against Gibraltar.
Max Kruse (Germany): A
Kruse didn't even start the match, but Germany were a different team after he replaced Gotze late in the first half. He earned an assist and scored a pair of goals, including a beautiful volley that made it 7-0. The 27-year-old striker from Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga doesn't receive a ton of praise, but he showed off his skills Saturday and showed that he belongs among Die Mannschaft's top players.
Post-Match Reaction
The early portion of Saturday's match was a true shock due to how closely Gibraltar were able to play Germany. There may have been a hangover of sorts on the Germans' part due to their loss to the United States, but they looked like an entirely different team in the second half.
According to Germany's official Twitter account, Low believed his team wasn't taking advantage of the opportunities they created in the opening half:
Schweinsteiger was among those who agreed with that sentiment:
The German captain also put the onus on himself, as he was extremely disappointed with his inability to convert a penalty kick early in the match:
Schweinsteiger's poor penalty was a microcosm of the opening half, but the Germans were able to put that behind them in the second.
Low loved the buildup and finishing touch that his players displayed in the latter 45 minutes:
Schurrle, who scored a hat trick, felt the same way and spoke fondly of the manner in which Germany attacked Gibraltar following the break:
Perhaps a team of Germany's ilk shouldn't need added motivation, but it is clear that their so-so showing in the first half lit a fire under them leading up to the second.
There was never much doubt that the Germans would prevail against Gibraltar, but they needed a convincing victory to prove to themselves—and show the rest of their Euro group—they are ready to take over the competition.
That is precisely what they did, and their Euro 2016 prospects now look much better than they did entering Saturday.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
