A crucial goal from Thomas Müller helped Germany overcome a tricky EURO 2016 qualifying trip to Georgia on Sunday evening. A 54,549 crowd at the National Stadium in Tibilisi saw the world champions ignore the intimidating atmosphere and turn in a composed and authoritative display on their way to a crucial 2-0 victory. Müller scored his country’s second on 42 minutes after Marco Reus’s opener three minutes earlier.
Germany’s third win in five Group D qualifiers takes the three-time European champions up to ten points, one adrift of leaders Poland after Robert Lewandowski and Co drew 1-1 with Ireland in Dublin later in the evening. Scotland also have ten points after dismissing Gibraltar 6-1 in Glasgow.
FCB’s five starters
Boss Joachim Löw opted to start the first competitive international of 2015 with all five of the Bayern men at his disposal: Manuel Neuer in goal, Jérôme Boateng at centre-back, captain Bastian Schweinsteiger in the holding role in his first international appearance since the 2014 World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro, Müller out on the right and Mario Götze in a lone striker role.
The Germans looked full of desire and inventiveness against their defensive opponents and created a string of decent chances, with Reus twice cracking shots off the bar on five and 60 minutes. The decisive goals came in the run-up to the interval: Reus smote home the opener after good work from Götze in the box, before Mesut Özil instigated the move clinically finished off by Müller. The Bayern striker is now up to five goals in the current qualifying competition.
Topics of this article