BEVERLY HILLS, October 10, (THEWILL) –Â It took a conspicuous error but it finally happened. Germany recorded their first win in a Nations League match, a 2-1 victory over the Eastern European nation of Ukraine.
It was their seventh attempt and the nervy situation the Germans played in was visible at different moments in the game where they finally picked up a victory in the competition.
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Matthias Ginter and Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka produced the goods to give the visitors a healthy 2-0 lead. Goretzka’s goal had him nod the ball into the net from a couple of yards out after Ukraine and Dynamo Kyiv goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan practically dropped a cross onto his head.
The visitors came under pressure late on in the game after Atalanta midfielder Ruslan Malinovskiy’s 76th-minute penalty gave Ukraine renewed optimism and verve. But Joachim Low’s side held on.
Germany went ahead in the 20th minute as Ginter netted his second senior international goal, turning in a cross from Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger who danced around the right side of the Ukraine defence before delivering the ball low across the six-yard box.
Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich midfielder, almost beat Bushchan from 25 yards, forcing the goalkeeper who conceded seven against France in midweek to tip over.
Germany appeared certain to add to their tally before half-time when Bayern’s Serge Gnabry’s diving header from Ginter’s clipped cross from the right arrived towards the near right corner, but Bushchan was swift to fling himself across and turn the ball wide.
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Only for Bushchan’s good fortune to desert him in the 49th minute. His calamitous blunder making an awful mess of RB Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann’s cross from the right flank, and Goretzka could not miss, gratefully accepting Bushchan’s gift.
Julian Draxler should have added a third goal 90 seconds later after Gnabry cut the ball into his path. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder had time to set himself in the penalty area, but this time Bushchan made the save.
Scoring threats from the Ukrainians were minimal, but they had a lifeline when their striker Roman Yaremchuk, who plays for Gent in the Belgian First Division, went down under Niklas Sule’s challenge, earning a penalty.
Malinovskiy fired into the bottom-left corner, but Ukraine, backed by fervent, horn-blowing home support after the stadium was open to 30 per capacity, could not find a leveller.
THEWILL notes that Germany are up against Switzerland and Ukraine faces Spain in the next legs of the Nations League matches to be played on Tuesday, October 13.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
