By Arne Richter and Jan Mies, dpa I Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023
AUSTRIA – Out of sorts Germany lost 2-0 in Austria on Tuesday at the end of a terrible year for the former football super power which culminated in a red card for winger Leroy Sane and deepens concerns about their chances at next year’s home Euros.
Marcel Sabitzer opened the scoring in the 29th minute, and Christoph Baumgartner wrapped up a prestigious victory in the 73rd for Austria who underlined why they have qualified in style for the continental championships.
Germany’s agony in Vienna was complete when Sane got his marching orders four minutes after the restart for grabbing Philipp Mwene in the face and pushing him to the ground.
“It can’t get any worse. That may be the only positive aspect,” captain Ilkay Gündogan told broadcasters ZDF.
Instead of ending the year on a high in the final games, the three-time European and four-time world champions lacked in all aspects as they closed 2023 with back-to-back defeats, having been beaten 3-2 on Saturday in Berlin by Turkey who will also be at the Euros.
It was an abrupt end to a brief resurgence after the end of the Hansi Flick era, a 2-1 win over France under caretaker Rudi Völler followed by a 3-1 against the United States and 2-2 with Mexico in the first games of new helmsman Julian Nagelsmann.
In all, Germany won only three of their 11 games of the year, losing six and drawing the other two, conceding 22 goals in the process.
They came nowhere near to rebounding from a second straight World Cup group stage exit last year Qatar, and there are serious doubts now that the team can achieve something at the Euros.
Four games are left until then, two in March, possibly against France and the Netherlands, and the others in the final countdown in June.
“It is bitter that we must live with this for the next months. We must all look at ourselves. Each player has to realise what they can do to perform in the best way,” Gündogan said.
“The red card sums it all up, the frustration, the disappointment. We made it far too easy for Austria to score. Instead of generating positive energy we are acting in the opposite way. You don’t become successful that way.”
Nagelsmann said: “We face a lot of work. Nothing will be easy towards the summer. We can not take a victim’s role.
“We are not exuding confidence and we are not managing to bring our togetherness onto the pitch.”
Austria forward Michael Gregoritsch said: “It is extremely sweet. We wanted a fitting end of the year. It is a perfect ending for us.”
Nagelsmann chose Arsenal forward Kai Havertz as left back again while Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry and Mats Hummels replaced Joshua Kimmich, Florian Wirtz and Bejamin Henrichs.
Austrian counterpart Ralf Rangnick effectively fielded the same side that wrapped up the successful Euro campaign with a 2-0 win over Estonia, with Mwene the only new man in.
Germany never got into the game, losing too many balls in their own half as they invited the high pressing Austrians to threaten.
Michael Gregoritsch aimed wide in the 12th and five minutes later the Freiburg forward failed to beat Germany goalkeeper Kevin Trapp one on one after a pass over the top from Philipp Lienhart.
The deserved Austrian breakthrough came in the 29th when Baumgartner found Sabitzer on the left and the Borussia Dortmund midfielder fired into the near left corner after not being seriously challenged by Jonathan Tah.
Germany’s first chance did not come until the 32nd minute from a curling Sane shot which was easily gathered by Alexander Schlager.
Veteran Thomas Müller came on for the second half but the German crisis soon deepened. Sane tripped Mwene and then fell over him before losing his temper in the ensuing confrontation and hardly being restrained after seeing red.
Trapp saved well from Gregoritsch but it was all over in the 73rd when Gregoritsch released RB Leipzig’s Baumgartner to chip home over Trapp, sending the Vienna crowd into a big celebration until the final whistle and leaving Germany to lick their wounds.
