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Free as a bird in the box Woltemade of Germany rises to head Germany ahead. Photograph: Maja Hitij/Getty Images
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GOAL! Germany 3-0 Slovakia (Sane 36)
There he is! Wirtz turns to clip a gorgeous pass over the Slovakia defence and into the path of Sane, who takes a terrific touch to deliver ball into stride before slipping into the far corner.
GOAL! Czechia 3-0 Gibraltar (Coufal 32)
Coufal runs away from a free-kick out on the right, the ball goes to the front post and when it’s knocked back to the edge, he’s there to drive low into the near corner. That’s very nicely planned and executed.
Germany have dominated Slovakia so even if Duric had scored, it seems unlikely it would’ve altered the result – the class difference is too pronounced.
Back in Amsterdam, Reijnders charges forward has men either side … and opts to shoot, his trivela hitting the far post, two-thirds of the way up.
GOAL! Germany 2-0 Slovakia (Gnabry 29)
This is so simple. A ball into Goretzka, who slides between two defenders into the box, and Gnabry easily rolls into the bottom right. Germany are going to the World Cup! Who knew?!
Luxembourg counter in Belfast and Sinani drills fresh air right into the corner, then Olesen sweeps wide from 20 yards.
Slovakia ought to equalise! A shot from the edge is blocked, the ball is bundled through to Durix, and he pokes goalward from seven yards … but Baumann tips around the post then, from the corner, the clearance sits up for Duric, who strikes across it … and it flies just over the top.
GOAL! Czechia 2-0 Gibraltar (Chory 18)
A cross from the right, bouncing up, and a well controlled, though lonely finish.
GOAL! Montenegro 2-0 Croatia (Kristovic 17)
A neat turn on the edge and a low finish, that the keeper should probably keep out.
GOAL! Germany 1-0 Slovakia (Woltemade 18)
A corner is only half-cleared and when Kimmich sends the ball back in from the opposite flank, Woltemade is along in the six=yard box to head home. He’s now scored Germany’s last four goals.
Northern Ireland have just had a goal ruled out for offside, Galbraith going too early before crossing for Donley.
Ruud Gullit scored for Netherlands in their ill-fated qualifying campaign for Euro ‘84. I’d not have guessed he made his international debut in 1981. And what a finish it was!
GOAL! Netherlands 1-0 Lithuania (Reijnders 16)
Apoor pass out is seized upon by De Jong, whose tackle is also a pass, putting Reijnders in, and he punches an outswinging finish high into the net.
In Amsterdam, Gakpo heads too close to the keeper after De Jong finds him with a cunning dink, then Malen’s low shot is saved.
Northern Ireland are putting it on Luxembourg, Galbraith driving them forward; they could really do with a centre-forward.
GOAL! Czechia 1-0 Gibraltar (Doudera 5)
A man over down the right and a low finish.
In Leipzig, Germany have Slovakia under pressure, Schlotterbeck heading over from a corner. I’m sure Slovakia plan to sit back, looking to strike on the break.
Email! “The Dutch should not be too cocky about their superior goal difference,” chides Malc Shuttleworth. “I was living in Amsterdam in 1983 when the Spanish won by ELEVEN GOALS to go to the Euro ‘84 finals at the Dutch’s expense.”
GOAL! Montengro 1-0 Croatia (Osmajic 3)
Terrible defending under a high ball allows Osmajic to hare forward and drill home a low finish.
I’m eager to see how Germany use Nick Woltemade. He’s a lovely footballer but no threat in behind – he reminds me a little of Dimitar Berbatov. Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, though, might be able to play off him – I think it’s the former on the right and latter 0on the left, perhaps for that reason.
Aaaand away we go.
At Windsor Park. there’s a minute’s applause for George Best, who died 20 years ago next week. The best player to come out of the British Isles? I didn’t see him, obviously, but from what I know, it isn’t even close. The goals here – against Gordon Banks, too – deserve the glorious commentary they get.
Highlights of that match here:
Germany have only lost four World Cup qualifiers in their entire history. That is ridiculous – though it’s worth noting one of those reverses came against tonight’s opposition earlier in the group.
Out come our various teams…
A question: can Germany or the Netherlands win the World Cup? My sense is no, not a chance; the winner will come from Spain, France, England, Brazil, Argentina, with it being hard to look past the first of those. Of course tonight’s big dogs could beat any of them in a one-off, but I can’t see them winning four knockout matches. They don’t have the gamebreakers or options of the best, nor anyone transcendental who can render everything but them irrelevant.
Northern Ireland are, as we said, into the playoffs via the Nations League, but will want to build momentum going into that tonight. They fought hard against Slovakia, only to concede a winner in injury time, but they did beat the same opposition at home and, in Ethan Galbraith, have a very modern midfielder doing brillaintly at Swansea.
Looking at the Netherlands side, Matthijs de Ligt isn’t just back in the squad but back in the team. He’s earned that with his performances this season, but there’s not much recovery pace between him and Virgil van Dijk, nor does he have the safety in numbers provided by three centre-backs and Casemiro sat in front.
Slovakia aren’t the same without the recently retired totem – and now assistant manager – Marek Hamsik. It’s hard to see how they can get after Germany, but Napoli’s Stan Lobota and Atleti’s David Hancko are useful; perhaps David Strelec of Boro can save the day. Otherwise, Leo Sauer, currently with Feyenoord, was excellent when the sides met in Bratislava.
So, what’s interesting? I’m looking forward to seeing how Germany do in midfield; I’ve always enjoyed Leon Goretzka, though he’s past his best now, but alongside him, Pavlovic is already extremely good with plenty of scope to get better. I am, of course, also keen to see how Florian Wirtz gets on – the pace of international football might suit him better than that of the Prem.
Group L teams
Montenegro (4-4-2): Nikic; Vesovic, Tuci, Rubezic, Marusic; Jankovic, Loncar, Bulatovic, Osmajic; Jovetic, Krstovic. Subs: Popovic, Petkovic, Milic, Radunovic, Sipcic, Simun, Vukotic, Brnovic, Perovic, Adzic, Kostic, Djukanovic.
Croatia (4-2-3-1): Livakovic; Jakic, Sutalo, Caleta-car, Gvardiol; Perisic, Moro, Vlasic, Mario Pasalic, Ivanovic; Matanovic. Subs: Pandur, Stanisic, Pongracic, Erlic, Modric, Sucic, Fruk, Pasalic, Kramaric, Musa, Orsic.
**
Czechia (4-2-3-1): Kovar; Coufal, Hranac, Zeleny, Jurasek; Beran, Soucek; Doudera, Schick, Karabec; Chory. Subs: Jedlicka, Markovic, Chaloupek, Rynes, Sadilek, Cerv, Hellebrand, Danek, Ladra, Sejk, Chytil.
Gibraltar (4-3-3): Hankins; Olivero, Lopes, Mauro, Jolley; Ronan, Pozo, Torilla; Scanlon, Bartolo, Del Río. Subs: Banda, Lopez, McClafferty, Mouelhi, Bent, Perera, Vinet, Morgan, Borge, Jessop.
Group G teams
Netherlands (4-3-3): Verbruggen; Timber J, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Aké; Reinjders, De Jong; Simons, Malen, Gakpo; Depay. Subs: Roefs, Flekken, Geertruida, Van de Ven, Gravenberch, Timber Q, Schouten, Valente, Emegha, Lang.
Lithuania (5-3-2): Gertmonas; Tutyskinas, Armalas, Utkus; Sirvys, Gineitis, Vorobjovas, Sirgedas, Lasickas; Cernych, Kalinauskas. Subs: Svedkauskas, Barktus, Olberkis, Beneta, Upstas, Lekiatus, Micevicius, Simkus, Golubickas, Burba, Paulauskas, Dubickas.
**
Malta (4-2-3-1): Bonello; Muscat, Mentz, Shaw, Camenzuli; Satariano, Guillaumier; J.Mbong, Teuma, Chouaref; Cardona. Subs: Debono, Al-Tumi, Borg, Pepe, Beerman, Overend, Grech, Paiber, Mbong, Zammit, Buhagiar, Corbalan,
Poland (5-4-1): Dragowski; Wszolek, Kedziora, Kiwior, Wisnieski, Skoras; Kaminski, Slisz, Zielinski, Zalewski; Lewandowski. Subs: Kochalski, Grabara, Cash, Ziolkowski, Szczesniak, Bereszynski, Kapustka, Grosicki, Rozga, Kozlowski, Swiderski, Buksa.
Group A teams
Germany (4-2-3-1): Baumann; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Pavlović, Goretzka; Gnabry, Wirtz, Sané; Woltemade. Subs: Schneller, Dahmen, Thiaw, Anton, Brown, Baku, Ouedraogo, Nmecha, Schade, Leweling, Burkardt, Adeyemi.
Slovakia (4-3-3): Dúbravka; Gyömbér, Skriniar, Obert, Hancko; Bero, Lobotka, Sauer; Duris, Strelec, Duda. Subs: Pekarík, Schranz, Satka, Hrosovsky, Vavro, Haraslin, Benes, Rodák, Takac, Boženík, Bobcek, Rigo.
**
Northern Ireland (3-5-2): Hazard, Brown, McNair, McConville; Bradley, Lewis, Galbraith, Lyons, McDonnell; Donley, Price. Subs: Clarke, Southwood, Toal, Johnson, Devlin, Devenny, McCausland, Kelly, Marshall, Charles, Smyth, Magennis.
Luxembourg (4-3-3): Moris; Jans, Carlson, Korac, Martins M; Barreiro, Olesen, Martins C; Dardari, Thill, Sinani. Subs: Pereira, Fox, Veiga, Selimovic, Dzogovic, Mustafic, Moreira, Thill, Embaló, Curci, Avdusinovic, Muratovic.
Let’s have a look at some teams…
Preamble
As we well know, these days World Cup qualifiers are designed to deprive us of the good stuff: heartbreak, horror, devastation, desolation, regret, pain, agony, embarrassment, humiliation and so on. Sadly, the best we can do tonight is irritating inconvenience, but in these straitened times, we’ll absolutely take it.
Our major intrigue comes in Group A, where Germany take on Slovakia in Leipzig. The two sides are level on points and confirmed as the top two finishers with Julian Nagelsmann’s mannschaft, ahead on goal difference, needing to avoid defeat to ensure automatic qualification. If they are beaten, they will move into the playoffs with the visitors advancing – and we’ll also have a quarter of an an eye on Northern Ireland, into the playoffs via the Nations League, against Luxembourg.
In Amsterdam, meanwhile, the Netherlands – top of Group G – must avoid defeat to Lithuania, or see Poland fail to beat Malta, to take the automatic qualifying spot. If they lose and Poland win, Jan Urban’s men go straight into the finals ... provided there’s a goal difference swing of 13.
And finally to Group L, which offers no misery for our delectation. Croatia, whose meeting with Montenegro might still be spicy, are qualified in first place; Czechia, who entertain Gibraltar, are cemented in second. But with the big thing not too far away, anything we can learn now stands us in good stead for then.
Kick-offs: 7.45pm GMT
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