Germany 0-0 Poland: Tanks helpless 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 ended up being 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 always had nine players in their own half. Their two strikers, Lewandowski and Milik, also became the first line of defense when actively fighting for the ball. Meanwhile, coach Joachim Low still trusted Gotze in the highest position despite knowing that he would have to face a crowded defense. This greatly limited Germany's attacks, in a situation where a complete finisher was needed.

The draw keeps Germany 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 have no points.

Germany dominated the game but Poland had the most dangerous chance. Striker Milik will regret not being able to head the ball home just seconds into the second half. From Grosicki's cross from the right, Milik was just two metres from the goal line but sent the ball wide. 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 he has not been himself after a season of bench-breaking and injury-plagued spells at Bayern. A disappointing performance in the opening game against Ukraine saw him expected to be sidelined 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 to tighten 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 shows that it is not by chance that they are considered the "dark horse" in this year's tournament. Poland's defense is well organized and has the support of quality midfielders, and above them are 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 beat Germany today.

Lewandowski is no stranger to the German national team, being teammates with both central defenders Hummels and Boateng at Dortmund and Bayern. The Polish captain accepted to play behind to draw the German defense and that created space for Milik, unfortunately the Ajax player could not take advantage.

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