A debutant goal by Niclas Füllkrug, but still plenty of sand in the gears:
The Bremen striker saved the surprisingly weak German national football team’s dress rehearsal before the World Cup in Qatar. Seven days before the tournament opener against Japan, the man with the striking gap between his teeth scored for the listlessly playing four-time world champions in a poor 1:0 (0:0) against Oman. National coach Hansi Flick clapped his hands on the sidelines in the evening heat of Muscat – but he could not be satisfied.
Muhsen Al Ghassani (72nd) should have scored the opening goal in front of 25,654 spectators for the much more committed 75th in the FIFA world rankings. He shot past the empty goal, unlike Füllkrug (80th), who found his target with his left.
The lack of joy in the game had a few reasons. Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry: They were all initially absent from the Sultan Qabus Sports Centre, Flick kept his cards covered in the poker for the World Cup starting eleven. For him, it was a game of experiments. Youssoufa Moukoko, at 17 years and 361 days, became the youngest debutant since Uwe Seeler in 1954, but the BVB youngster looked hypernervous. He failed once at the post (45.+1), the second debutant Füllkrug tried more successfully after the break.
Thilo Kehrer and Matthias Ginter played in the shaky central defence, as Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle, like Kimmich and Gnabry, were allowed to rest for the time being. Lukas Klostermann made his first competitive appearance since August as a fitness test at right back, he lasted a good half hour as agreed and is certainly not yet an option for Japan
“We have to get over our inner pigs – everyone has to show that they are ready for the World Cup,” Flick energetically demanded. But there was no sign of World Cup euphoria and a fight for places, his team played too ponderously. And yet there could well be vacant positions: The days until the duel with Japan are becoming a battle against the clock.
The former “always player” Thomas Müller, who has missed seven league games in a row due to various ailments, and Antonio Rüdiger (hip injury), who was firmly planned as the head of defence, were only spectators. “We firmly expect both to train on Saturday,” Flick said.
Rocking the German style “through”, as the national coach had wanted, was not easy in a Qatar-like climate and accompanied by continuous Arabic chanting via megaphone. In fact, the hosts almost scored in the sixth minute when the ball jumped too far off Kehrer’s foot at the five-metre spot. Oman came out swinging with some technically strong players, Germany started untidy and vulnerable at the back – Flick sat down first.
He saw Kai Havertz miss the first good chance (16th), and he then had to set up Moukoko, who was obviously very tense: Flick patted his chest – head up! Moukoko’s goal against the post resulted from the first really consistent German attack in an otherwise very weak half.
Flick’s reaction was a quadruple change, with Schlotterbeck, Kimmich and Christian Günter coming on alongside Füllkrug. Suddenly the momentum was there, Füllkrug (53.) and Kehrer (54.) failed with good opportunities. It was still not really convincing, captain Manuel Neuer had to clear in goal against Zahir Al-Aghbari for a corner after just over an hour. His deputy Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is ill, is expected to follow.
Against Japan, a Bayern block of at least five players will start, with the problem positions outside the record champion’s line-up: in attack and on the defensive wings. For Flick, the immediate preparation begins “four days before the first game”, i.e. on Saturday – then the hunt for the fifth World Cup star really starts.