Euro 2016 qualifying: Germany host Poland with vengeance on mind

Joachim Loew’s side lost 2-0 to neighbours last year in Warsaw.

BERLIN: World champions Germany take on Poland in Friday’s key Euro 2016 qualifier with the hosts out to avenge last year’s historic defeat to their neighbours and go top of Group D.

The Germans have a score to settle in Frankfurt in the first of their two qualifiers before playing Scotland in Glasgow next Monday.

Joachim Loew’s side find themselves in the unusual position of being second in the table, just a point behind leaders Poland, who beat them 2-0 in the corresponding fixture in Warsaw last October, while Scotland are third.

The Germans are making no secret of their desire to take six points from their two games to wrest back control of the group from neighbours Poland.

“It’s business time now,” said Germany forward Thomas Mueller, with Germany set to name a near full-strength side. “This is no friendly. We’re getting straight into it with what is supposedly the hardest game. After losing 2-0 last time, we have a score to settle against Poland, and that should tell you everything.”

Germany suffered a blow on Thursday when Borussia Dortmund winger Marco Reus withdrew with a toe injury as the 26-year-old’s bad luck continues having missed six of their last 10 internationals — plus last year’s World Cup — with ailments.

The top two teams from each group qualify automatically, but Germany will want to make sure they finish in their accustomed top spot.

Having suffered a post-Brazil hangover, Loew’s side want to rediscover the form that carried them to last year’s World Cup triumph.

Poland arrive in Frankfurt looking to complete the double over their neighbours to stay top of the group before they play bottom side Gibraltar in Warsaw next Monday, having mauled the minnows 7-0 away in September last year.

Mueller’s Bayern team-mate Robert Lewandowski will lead Poland’s attack and the hotshot striker says Germany will be showing his side a lot more respect than they did when the teams last met.

“My team-mates from Bayern told me after the first match they would do everything to take revenge in the second game,” said Lewandowski. “I live in Germany and I can tell nobody is even contemplating missing out on the Euro finals. The only question is whether they will finish top of the group or runners-up. Germany look at us differently now. They respect us.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th,  2015.

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