Rockin Robin: Wingbacks key to German success

     Germany silenced their critics on Saturday evening following an empathic 4-2 disposal of European Champions Portugal. Robin Gosens, the only member of Joachim Low’s squad minus Bundesliga employment on his cv, tormented Portugal’s right side as he snatched the ‘Star of the Match’ award. Gosens, who plies his trade for Serie A outfit Atalanta grabbed a couple of assists and a neat headed goal as he almost single-handedly prolonged the Joachim Low farewell tour. Wolverhampton Wanderers right-back Nelson Semedo can expect to see the ubiquitous Robin Gosens in his nightmares for the foreseeable. Stretching the full-back out wide, charging down the wing to the byline, racing into the back post, shooting from tight angles, spreading diagonal passes, low-driven crosses into the six-yard box, Gosens was exactly the kind of dynamic spark Low’s men missed in the notorious 6-0 mauling to Spain back in November 2020. Low’s 3-4-3 set-up has been repeatedly criticised by the German media, with very few of Die Mannschaft’s starters accustomed to this formation at club level, making this style of play a very onerous request of the 61-year-old national team boss. Ironically, Low’s brainchild was the driving force behind their statement win over a Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Portugal.

                Against France four days prior, Germany never truly exploited the opposition defence by overloading the wide areas with these wingbacks. Although Portugal did open the scoring in Munich on Saturday via a clutch counterattack, it materialised from a German corner kick gone wrong as opposed to the free-flowing full backs getting caught out for attacking at will. Other than the opener Germany never looked susceptible to a Portuguese counterattack. With Gosens and Kimmich pressing so high, they essentially created a front five in attack, alongside Havertz, Muller and Gnabry through the middle. As Portugal employed a back four, this meant they were outnumbered by the hosts five to four, forcing their wider midfielders, Bernardo Silva and Diogo Jota to track back and defend. With Silva and Jota pulled back to cover the German wingbacks and the two Portuguese central midfielders, William Carvalho and Danilo Pereira indistinguishable from one another in their roles for the national side, only Bruno Fernandes (not known for blistering pace) and captain Ronaldo were on hand for a potential break away. Germany failed to execute their wingbacks in their opening match with France, although, even if they had done so to full effect, Didier Deschamps’ men were assembled to combat this. Rather than have two pacey wingers retreat to defend, and leave an identical, defensive minded duo in central midfield such as Portugal did, France were equipped to counterattack Germany. If either of the wider French midfielders, Rabiot or Pogba tracked back to defend, their influence on the break was not as sorely missed as Jota’s or Silva’s was for the Portuguese. It seldom occurred, but when Rabiot and Pogba were forced back, Griezmann, Benzema and, most importantly, Mbappe were available to charge the German back three. N’Golo Kante was also lurking from box-to-box as he typically does. Thankfully for Low, there shouldn’t be as arduous a stop on his farewell tour than this encounter with the formidable French. Although both Mbappe and Benzema had goals chalked off for agonisingly narrow offsides, a 1-0 defeat to the pre-tournament favourites courtesy of an own goal does not scream disaster. There are few certainties in football, but one guarantee is that the Germans cannot be written off, ever. The not-so-secret weapon of Gosens and Kimmich flooding each flank and creeping into the danger area from time to time may be one of the most menacing aspects of the larger sides at Euro 2020 (in 2021…).

                Despite Germany’s perseverance early doors, it was the visitors who did eventually strike first. A botched Germany corner allowed Portugal to break, Bernardo Silva picked out Diogo Jota with a diagonal pass who controlled it on his chest before laying it on a plate for Ronaldo to break his duck of having never scored against the Germans, ensuing a chorus of ‘SUII’ from the travelling support. Germany didn’t appear too disheartened by Ronaldo’s opener as they continued to prod for a way back into the match, and with a little help from their opponents, two quickfire goals leading up to half-time turned the game on its head. The hosts potent wingback play was influential in both German first-half goals. Joshua Kimmich whipped the ball into the back post where fellow full-back Robin Gosens was waiting, the Atalanta man volleyed it across the face of the goal, and a Ruben Dias deflection sent it goalward. Just four minutes later the Germans were in the lead. Thomas Muller lofted the ball into Kai Havertz’s path, the Chelsea youngster failed to control the ball, but some razor-sharp reactions from Kimmich, steering the ball across the goalmouth, forced yet another own goal, this time from Raphael Guerreiro. Six minutes after the restart the Germans stretched their advantage further. Thomas Muller, one of three men shunned from the national side after the disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign, once again at the heart of the build-up. Charging forward Muller played a one-two with Bayern teammate Kimmich before picking out Gosens on the left-hand side. Gosens drilled the ball low first time into Kai Havertz’s feet who tapped in from close range. The visitors couldn’t cope with Germany’s width and on the hour mark Robin Gosens rubbed salt in Portuguese wounds. For the final time that afternoon the wingback duo combined to punish Fernando Santos’ side. This time a simple chip into the far post for an unmarked Gosens to head home a commanding fourth. Portugal were able to pick up a consolation goal after some very dubious defending by the Germans, who in all fairness had replaced Gosens and Hummels by this stage.

                While Germany tormented Portugal with their width and ability to overload their opponents defence, there are still large concerns surrounding their defensive quality. In their final group game Leon Goretzka spared German blushes with an equaliser six minutes from time after ‘minnows’ Hungary had twice taken the lead in Munich, it is worth noting that the Hungarians laid out a back five in the 2-2 draw to neutralise Germany's wingbacks. Both visitors’ goals surfaced via some diabolical German defending. Mainz’s Adam Szalai inexplicably crept between Hummels and Ginter to nod in an unchallenged header to put Hungary 1-0 up after just eleven minutes, then less than two minutes after Havertz tied things up at 1-1 Hungary regained their advantage. Szalai turned provider when his lofted ball found Andras Schafer who headed past an onrushing Manuel Neuer. Leroy Sane was the nearest challenger to Schafer after Matthias Ginter went M.I.A and a static Mats Hummels watched events unfold. Goretzka’s late equaliser scheduled a mouth-watering Round of 16 meeting with England at Wembley next Tuesday evening. Germany’s impressive handling of the potential counter-attacking threat posed by Portugal bodes well for their encounter with Southgate’s side. Harry Kane has been isolated as it is thus far, if Germany can push their wingbacks forward in a similar manner as they did against Portugal it can force Sterling and Foden to drop back slightly causing even more distance between Kane and his wide men, the men who do the running for him. England have altered their defence between a four and five previously, but so far this campaign Southgate has persisted with a back four. If the England gaffer opts for four at the back again it will either drag the wingers back as mentioned, limiting the threat of a counterattack, or it could force Rice and Phillips to sit deep and create an unwanted distance between defence and attack. If Germany are to repeat their impressive performance against the current European champions, they need to be brave, pile pressure on Southgate’s conservative England side and establish their attacking intent early.