Colombia beats Germany for the first time to deepen Euro 2024 host team’s sense of angst
The Hindu
Juan Cuadrado scored one goal and set up another for Colombia to beat Germany 2-0 in a friendly and deepen the sense of crisis around the German team one year before the country hosts Euro 2024.
Juan Cuadrado scored one goal and set up another for Colombia to beat Germany 2-0 in a friendly and deepen the sense of crisis around the German team one year before the country hosts Euro 2024.
Colombia's win on Tuesday was its first ever over Germany, a four-time world champion that appears to have forgotten how to win games.
German supporters whistled their team off after the latest disappointment, the third in a week after a 1-0 loss to Poland and 3-3 draw with Ukraine.
Germany, which flopped at the World Cup with a second straight group-stage exit, has won only three of its 11 games this season under coach Hansi Flick — an ultimately futile win over Costa Rica at the World Cup, and two friendly victories over Peru and Oman.
Flick had been hoping to finish the season on a high note, saying before kickoff that a win was imperative.
"We know that we need successful results to take the next steps, otherwise it will be difficult," Flick told broadcaster RTL.
Flick again made a host of changes to his team after the disappointments against Poland and Ukraine. He dropped Joshua Kimmich as captain in favour of Champions League-winner Ilkay Gündogan, and brought in Marius Wolf, Robin Gosens, Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sané for Thilo Kehrer, Benjamin Henrichs, Jonas Hofmann and Florian Wirtz.
