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

Germany reclaimed the lead in Group D on Friday, beating Poland 3-1 in their Euro 2016 qualifier to take a two-point lead at the top of the standings.

Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze gave the hosts an early lead, but against the run of play, Robert Lewandowski reduced the deficit before half-time. Both teams had their chances after the break, but it was Gotze who decided the outcome of the match with a second goal late in the game.

With Scotland losing 1-0 in Georgia, Poland now hold a two-point lead over Ireland in the battle for second place, and with three matches left to play in Group D, the race to qualify for Euro 2016 is still wide open.

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The hosts suffered their first-ever defeat against Poland the last time these two teams met, and from the opening kick, it was clear Die Mannschaft were determined to not let that happen on Friday.

Just three minutes in, Muller came close to opening the score, heading the ball over the crossbar after a great corner from Toni Kroos. He then found Karim Bellarabi with a smart header, but the Leverkusen man's shot was deflected out of play.

Poland faced enormous pressure, and Maciej Rybus was booked within the first 10 minutes for a harsh tackle on Muller. That was followed by another shot from Bellarabi, who looked sensational early in the match.

It took Germany just 12 minutes to open the score, as a wonderful team move saw Jonas Hector lay the ball off to Muller, who calmly slotted home into an open net. It gave Bleacher Report UK the perfect excuse to share this timeless classic:

Poland tried to respond through star striker Lewandowski, but that gave the hosts more space on the counter-attack, and seven minutes after the opening goal, they doubled their lead.

Gotze produced a lovely turn to find some space at the edge of the box before powering a low shot beyond the reach of Lukasz Fabianski.

The young forward hasn't been a regular part of Bayern Munich's starting XI early this season, and per Stefan Bienkowski of STV Sport, he needed that goal:

As shared by OptaFranz, he overtook a number of legendary German internationals in the country's list of top scorers with the strike:

Germany's relentless pressure continued, and Mats Hummels should have made it 3-0 when he was left unmarked on a corner. The Borussia Dortmund centre-back completely fluffed his header, however, and the ball sailed well over the bar.

Mesut Ozil thought he had scored in the 32nd minute, but Poland's defence stepped out just in time to play the Arsenal man offside. The midfielder then teed up Muller, whose angled drive was stopped by Fabianski.

Poland couldn't muster more than a handful of looks on goal, but out of nowhere, the visitors pulled a goal back. Emre Can completely lost track of Kamil Grosicki, who gladly took advantage of the space afforded to him by planting a perfect cross on the head of the diving Lewandowski.

Bundesliga writer Cristian Nyari thinks Manuel Neuer will make his Polish team-mate pay for that when they return to training with Bayern Munich next week:

Grosicki was left far too open again just minutes later, but fortunately for the home fans, the winger couldn't recreate the magic from the earlier cross and blasted a dreadful attempt into the side netting.

Neuer's passing looked far too casual on Friday, with several poor efforts ending up in the stands or Polish feet. He had to produce one of the best saves of the year to stop Lewandowski from equalising after practically gifting the ball to the striker, and Bundesliga blogger Jonathan Harding wasn't happy:

Lewandowski had one final chance to pull his team level, but his header didn't have enough pace to get past Gotze on the line, although he had Neuer beat.

At the start of the second half, the Germans sought to regain control of the match, making the visitors chase the ball around midfield. Bellarabi almost had a shooting chance, but Sevilla star Grzegorz Krychowiak managed to close down the space just in time.

Lewandowski tried his luck with a volley, which came to nothing, before Jerome Boateng fired from long range, hitting some fans who were sitting nowhere near Fabianski's goal.

Krychowiak continued to impress with his defensive work, breaking down several promising attacks, and TheSetPieces' Phil Costa wasn't really surprised:

Gotze nearly made it 3-1 with a fantastic curling effort that struck the upright, before Neuer produced another fine stop to deny Krzysztof Maczynski. Chances were coming in fast on both sides, as Poland started to grow back into the match.

Ozil and Hummels saw their efforts parried by Fabianksi within a minute of each other, with Hummels' header in particular looking threatening. 

Ilkay Gundogan had replaced the impressive Bellarabi earlier in the second half and picked up right where the Leverkusen man left off, nearly setting up Gotze in the centre of the box. Nyari was impressed:

Germany continued to push forward, and their attacking intentions were rewarded in the 82nd minute. Gotze found Muller, who fired a shot on goal that took before reaching Fabianski. The goalkeeper did well to keep the ball out of goal with his leg, but Gotze had followed through with the shot and easily made it 3-1 with the rebound. 

Gundogan had one last chance to add to the lead, forcing another stop from Fabianski, and the tempo of the match dropped after Gotze's goal, allowing the hosts to play the ball around until the final whistle.

Both teams will be in action again on Monday, as Poland host Gibraltar and Germany travel to Scotland. The Scots were the big losers in Group D on Friday, dropping to fourth place after their shock loss in Georgia, and they need a big result against Die Mannschaft to keep up with Ireland in the race for third place. 

Germany appear to be in excellent form, however, and shouldn't fear the Scots.

Gibraltar have scored just a single goal during qualification and have yet to earn a point, so Poland will relish the opportunity to host the football minnows and pad their goal differential a bit.

Post-Match Reaction

Boateng took to Twitter to share this shot of himself and his team-mates after the match, and used the occasion to thank his fans for the many birthday wishes:

Gundogan thought Die Mannschaft fully deserved the win:

Bastian Schweinsteiger praised Friday's opposition, and Poland's strong play made the win taste even sweeter:

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