Euro 2024 hosts Germany slumped to a shock 4-1 dwelling loss to Japan of their worldwide pleasant on Saturday, deepening the sense of disaster hanging over them after their third straight loss lower than 9 months earlier than the continental event.
The four-time world champions, who crashed out of final 12 months’s World Cup group stage after additionally dropping to Japan, have gained simply 4 of their final 17 worldwide matches, placing coach Hansi Flick’s future doubtful.
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They subsequent face World Cup finalists France on Tuesday.
“We have now to be trustworthy and say that Japan have been higher. They let the ball run, they performed the appropriate areas, carved out their objectives. They have been higher,” Germany captain Ilkay Gündogan mentioned.
“We made far too many particular person errors. We have now to confess that we’re simply not on the identical stage with groups just like the one as we speak. It’s arduous however the pattern speaks for itself.”
“We have now to just accept that we’re simply not adequate in the mean time. That is the truth. Perhaps we even suppose we’re higher than we’re.”
Federico Gambarini/image alliance through Getty Photos
The Germans, regardless of a robust begin, have been with out a clear plan, missing in confidence and vitality whereas additionally littering the pitch with errors and permitting their opponents to journey roughshod over them as the house followers booed and whistled.
Japan scored with their first actual probability as Junya Ito silenced the house crowd within the eleventh minute by delivering a low cross on the far put up.
The hosts bounced again, levelling within the nineteenth following an outstanding passing transfer and a left-footed end from Leroy Sané.
However their pleasure was short-lived because the guests struck once more simply three minutes later with ahead Ayase Ueda wrong-footing keeper Marc-André ter Stegen after one other transfer down the appropriate wing.
Ter Stegen denied Japan one other purpose when Ueda pounced on a defensive error just a little later to cost by solely to see his shot saved.
Japan had two fast possibilities in succession two minutes after the restart however Ter Stegen saved Germany within the recreation, as he did within the seventieth, first palming Takuma Asano’s shot from shut vary broad after which stopping Kaoru Mitoma’s rebound effort.
Asano made amends within the ninetieth, slotting in to seal their second straight win over Germany earlier than they added one other in stoppage time with Ao Tanaka’s header.
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