MUNICH, Germany: A 63-minute rocket from debutant Jamie Leweling gave Germany a 1-0 win over a limp Netherlands in Munich on Monday and a first appearance in the Nations League knockout rounds.
The Stuttgart forward was called off the bench after an injury to club teammate Deniz Undav in the warm-up.
Leweling had an early goal ruled out for the tightest of offsides before blasting in a loose ball from a Joshua Kimmich corner.
A beaming Leweling told Germany’s ZDF network “we won as a team, I scored the 1-0, we won 1-0, but we did well and I’m just happy I could help out.
“The Dutch are a top nation, but we played a good game nevertheless. We used the chances that we had well.”
Captain Kimmich told reporters the side were proud to overcome a long injury list.
“There were just three players on the field in comparison to five weeks ago against Holland (a 2-2 draw in the Netherlands), that’s why we are proud of what we did.
“You could see how happy we are, how proud we are of the performance today.
“We had lots of new players, some young players, unfortunately lots of injuries but you didnt notice much of a difference.
“Jamie had an outstanding debut — it’s not often the Allianz Arena gives you a reception like that — he did well.
Oliver Baumann, at 34 the oldest debutant goalie in Germany history, pulled off a spectacular save from Donyell Malen in the final minute to protect Germany’s victory.
The Netherlands, missing suspended captain Virgil van Dijk, were poor until the dying stages. They stayed second in the group but only on goal difference ahead of Hungary, who beat Bosnia 2-0.
Before the match, the hosts bid farewell to international veterans Manuel Neuer, Thomas Mueller, Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos, who have all stepped down since the home Euros in the summer.
Since starting his reign one year ago to the day with a 3-1 away win over the United States, coach Julian Nagelsmann has been willing to ignore big names in favor of in-form players.
Injuries to key players including Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen forced Nagelsmann into seven changes, the injury to Undav, who scored both goals in Germany’s win over Bosnia on October 11, forced a last-minute reshuffle.
The coach gave Leweling and Oliver Baumann their first caps, while Aleksandar Pavlovic and Angelo Stiller started for the first time.
Leweling appeared to have started his Germany career perfectly when he gave the hosts the lead after just two minutes, but a lengthy video review found Serge Gnabry offside in the build-up.
Despite pressing the Dutch into a series of mistakes playing out from goal, Germany failed to carve another clear opportunity in the first half.
The visitors posed little threat to debutant Baumann’s goal, failing to register a shot in the first half.
Leweling’s stunning strike jolted the match into life with just under half an hour remaining.
Xavi Simons rattled the crossbar late as the Dutch hinted at a possible comeback, with Malen also going close but failing to break through.
Leweling rockets Germany past Dutch and into Nations League quarterfinals
https://arab.news/83m8y
Leweling rockets Germany past Dutch and into Nations League quarterfinals
- A beaming Leweling told Germany’s ZDF network “we won as a team, I scored the 1-0, we won 1-0, but we did well and I’m just happy I could help out
Atletico capitalize on Tottenham’s Champions League nightmare
- Julian Alvarez netted twice for Diego Simeone’s side, with Marcos Llorente, Antoine Griezmann and Robin Le Normand also on target in the Spanish capital
MADRID: Atletico Madrid took advantage of error-strewn Tottenham in the Champions League to rack up a 5-2 last 16 first leg victory on Tuesday.
The Premier League side fell 4-0 down inside 22 minutes with three glaring mistakes, including two by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, leading to the hosts’ first three goals at the Metropolitano stadium.
Julian Alvarez netted twice for Diego Simeone’s side, with Marcos Llorente, Antoine Griezmann and Robin Le Normand also on target in the Spanish capital.
Pedro Porro pulled one back for the visitors and Dominic Solanke added another as they fell to a sixth straight defeat across all competitions but salvaged a shred of hope for the second leg.
Interim Spurs coach Igor Tudor said he was approaching the game as a chance to try and come up with solutions to the team’s many problems, with the club’s main focus on avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
The Croatian selected 22-year-old Czech goalkeeper Kinsky over Guglielmo Vicario, for his first appearance since last October, with the north London side having conceded two goals in each of the nine prior Premier League matches.
The decision could not have backfired quicker, with Kinsky slipping as he tried to pass the ball out from the back, giving it straight to Ademola Lookman.
The Nigeria winger found Alvarez who squared for Llorente to stroke home after just six minutes — four minutes longer than it took them to concede against Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final at the same stadium.
In what fast became a comedy of errors for those watching on, including former Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs then conceded two goals in two minutes to fall three behind.
Micky van de Ven fell over, allowing Griezmann to run through on goal and net Atletico’s second, before Kinsky committed another grievous mistake.
The goalkeeper, making his debut in the competition, miskicked a pass and the ball fell for Alvarez to run it into an empty net.
Tudor took action, replacing Kinsky with Vicario after 17 minutes, with Atletico’s fans jubilantly applauding off the devastated goalkeeper.
Vicario made a brilliant save to keep Pape Sarr’s header out of his own goal but Le Normand was on home to nod home the rebound for Atletico’s fourth inside 22 minutes.
Four minutes later Pedro Porro hit back after combining with Richarlison to stem the tide.
Vicario denied Lookman, Llorente fired wide and Cristian Romero nodded against the post at the other end as a wild first half came to a close without further goals.
Spurs salvage slim hope
Tudor sent on Conor Gallagher at half-time against his former side, with Atletico fans giving the midfielder a warm reception.
They were cheering even louder a few minutes later as Alvarez put away the fifth when Griezmann sent him scuttling through on goal on the counter, after Jan Oblak saved superbly from Richarlison.
Spurs pulled another one back when Atletico stopper Oblak made a mistake of his own with a poor pass straight to Porro, and substitute Dominic Solanke rifled home.
Despite an improved showing after the break there was no way back on the night for Spurs, who have lost all four matches since Tudor replaced Thomas Frank in February and are 16th in the Premier League.
Solanke’s goal gave them a lifeline in the tie but their upcoming Premier League matches against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, either side of the second leg, are the clear priority with top flight survival on the line.
Atletico have bigger aspirations, having finished as runners-up in the 2014 and 2016 finals, and are desperate to win the competition for the first time.
