Germany 0-0 Poland: Tanks powerless against buses

Coach Joachim Low's team dominated the match but could not penetrate the Polish net.

Ozil surrounded by Polish players. Photo: Reuters.

The match that promised to be exciting between Germany and Poland turned out to be the first goalless match at Euro 2016. The calculated and tactical play left the two teams tied after 90 minutes.

Poland actively played with a deep formation and nine players in their own half. Their two strikers, Lewandowski and Milik, also became the first line of defense when they actively fought for the ball. Meanwhile, coach Joachim Low still trusted Gotze in the highest position despite knowing that he would have to face a large defense. This greatly limited Germany's attacks, in a situation where a complete finisher was needed.

The draw means Germany remain top of Group C with four points. Poland have the same number of points but are second on goal difference. Northern Ireland are third after their win over Ukraine, who are bottom and without a point.

Germany dominated the game, but Poland had the most dangerous chance. Striker Milik will regret not being able to head the opening goal just seconds into the second half. From Grosicki's right-wing cross, Milik was just two metres from the goal line but sent the ball wide of the post. Milik had two more good chances in the second half but failed to score.

On the other side, Mario Gotze and Ozil were the players with the best chances. Gotze had a face-off at a tight angle, while Ozil shot from inside the box and both were blocked by goalkeeper Fabianski. The appearance of Mario Gomez and Andre Schurrle at the end of the match did not create a breakthrough for the German attack.

Gotze scored the winner in Germany's World Cup triumph two years ago but has not been the same after a season of injury and bench time at Bayern. A disappointing performance in the opening game against Ukraine saw him expected to be out, but coach Joachim Low was determined to keep faith in his player. However, his faith was not rewarded, with Poland playing a tight game at home.

Milik's header missed the post near the German goal. Photo: Reuters.

The German midfield struggled against the might of Maczynski and Krychowiak. The loss in the dispute caused Ozil and Khedira to receive yellow cards in the first half. The Polish midfield duo combined with the two central defenders to form a pincer that squeezed the midfield, forcing Germany to switch their attack to the wings. But with a small player like Gotze in the center forward position, Germany's chances of attacking from the wings were not very good.

Poland's performance against Germany showed that it was no coincidence that they were considered the "dark horse" in this year's tournament. Poland's defense was well organized and had support from quality midfielders, and above them were two independent strikers Lewandowski and Milik, helping to complete the defensive counter-attacking style of play. Poland played poorly against Germany, but they were unlucky not to defeat Germany today.

Lewandowski is no stranger to the German national team, having been teammates with both centre-backs Hummels and Boateng at Dortmund and Bayern. The Polish captain accepted to play back to draw the German defence and that created space for Milik, unfortunately the Ajax player could not take advantage of it.

In the final round of the group stage, Germany will face Northern Ireland, while Poland will host Ukraine.

Group C - Euro 2016

According to VNE