Friday, March 29

Friendly round-up: Germany’s winning run comes to an end after Dutch draw


Netherlands 1 Germany 1

Netherlands came from a goal down to snatch a 1-1 draw against visitors Germany in their friendly international in Amsterdam on Tuesday and snap their opponents’ eight-game winning run.

Thomas Müller put Germany ahead in the 45th minute before Steven Bergwijn struck midway through the second half to level and end Germany’s winning streak under new coach Hansi Flick.

“For the spectators it was a top game with high intensity,” Flick said. “I am satisfied overall. It was a high-tempo game. We had them under control for the first hour and we could have scored a second goal.

“Still I have to praise my team because we played good football. We were fresh, had courage and played with confidence against a top team.”

Both teams, who have qualified for the World Cup, had a handful of chances in a fast-paced first half, with Dutch striker Donyell Malen firing wide in the 35th after the Germans came close through Leroy Sane and Timo Werner.

Netherlands goalkeeper Mark Flekken was beaten on the stroke of half-time when Müller latched on to a free ball in the box and thundered in his 43rd international goal.

Germany’s David Raum should have done better three minutes after the restart when Sane found him with a pinpoint pass but the midfielder sent his shot from in the box far over the bar.

The visitors were pressing high and controlled the pace of the game but the hosts struck against the run of play in the 68th minute when Bergwijn slotted in from close range after Denzel Dumfries had headed the ball on following a quick move.

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The Netherlands were unlucky not to be given a penalty three minutes later when Germany’s Thilo Kehrer clearly felled Memphis Depay but the referee, having initially awarded a spot kick, changed his mind following a VAR review.

Germany came close again in the final minutes through Lukas Nmecha but the 23-year-old could not snatch a late winner despite a golden chance.

Austria 2 Scotland 2

Scotland surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Austria in an entertaining friendly at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna.

Visiting goalkeeper Craig Gordon kept the hosts at bay before Jack Hendry headed Steve Clarke’s side into the lead after 28 minutes following a corner from John McGinn, who had missed a couple of early opportunities.

The Aston Villa midfielder made no mistake with another chance after 56 minutes but Michael Gregoritsch pulled a goal back 20 minutes later and – with eight minutes remaining – with the nervy Scots disjointed, fellow substitute Alessandro Schopf levelled, to leave the visitors hanging on for a draw.

After a 1-1 draw with Poland at Hampden Park last Thursday, Scotland have six wins and a two draws from their last eight matches and can start looking forward to the World Cup playoff semi-final against Ukraine, pencilled in for June, with Wales awaiting the winners in the final, albeit Clarke will know improvement is required.

There was little appetite for the game in Austria after the hosts’ chances of reaching the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar were ended by Wales in the playoff semi-final last week.

Afterwards Austria manager Franco Foda announced he would be standing down after the game.

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England 3 Ivory Coast 0

Stand-in skipper Raheem Sterling set up one and scored another as England cruised to victory in a friendly against Ivory Coast that felt more like a training match after Serge Aurier’s sending off at Wembley.

Gareth Southgate made 10 changes from Saturday’s comeback win against well-drilled Switzerland as World Cup preparations continued with a first-ever senior international meeting of these nations.

Sterling crossed for Ollie Watkins’s opener and added a second shortly after Aurier’s first-half sending off, with many having left Wembley by the time Tyrone Mings headed home to make it 3-0 at the death.

Northern Ireland 0 Hungary 1

Hungary capitalised on a mistake from Niall McGinn to edge out Northern Ireland 1-0 at Windsor Park.

Dundee winger McGinn undersold Bailey Peacock-Farrell with a back-pass, allowing Roland Sallai to nip in and score with 56 minutes gone.

Up until that point Northern Ireland had looked the more dangerous side with captain Steven Davis hitting the outside of the post and McGinn himself going close, but they could not find a response as Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz made a flurry of saves in a frantic finish.

Even so, this was arguably a better performance than the one that brought victory over Luxembourg on Friday, with Northern Ireland proving a decent match for a side bound for Nations League A – and a group shared by England, Italy and Germany – this summer.

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