Olympia 2021: Brazil shows Germany how a gold favorite is playing

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Triple scorer Richarlison

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PHIL NOBLE / REUTERS

At the start of the Olympic soccer tournament, the German selection lost.

Against Brazil, Stefan Kuntz's team came back into the game after a desperate first 45 minutes, but lost 2: 4 (0: 3).

Striker Richarlison from the Premier League club FC Everton made things clear with a hat trick (7th minute, 22nd, 30th) in the first half hour.

Nadiem Amiri's goal gave the German team hope again (56th).

After Maximilian Arnold's dismissal (62nd), substitute Ragnar Ache only managed to hit the next goal (84th).

Paulinho made everything clear with a counterattack (90 + 4).

In the remake of the 2016 final in Rio de Janeiro, in which the German team lost on penalties, the Brazilians settled in the German half from the start and relentlessly attacked the gaps in the German defensive formation.

A first promising counterattack by the defending champion was completed by Matheus Cunha, the Hertha BSC professional failed because of Florian Müller in the German goal (5th).

Shortly afterwards, the opening goal fell for Brazil: The not quite sure-footed Amos Pieper let Richarlison escape for the first time.

With his first degree, the attacker could not get past Müller, who was in a good mood, but the keeper from VfB Stuttgart was powerless when it came to the margin (7th).

In this phase of the game, the Germans hardly managed to free themselves from Brazilian pressure.

There were also some individual mistakes such as Piepers, who wanted to head an uncontrolled high ball back to the goal and presented it to Richarlison (15th).

First Müller thwarted the chance in dire need, then Pieper ironed out his mistake with a straddle.

The next mistake was made by the DFB team as a collective: First, when there was a cross from the left, no one picked up Richarlison in the center, who headed it 2-0 (22nd minute).

A Schlenzer Richarlison deflected by Pieper landed a little later for a hat trick in the far corner (30th).

Müller stands out, Arnold is thrown off the field

After the 3-0 win, the pressure on the German goal subsided a little.

Due to a handball by Benjamin Henrichs, Brazil got the chance to score a fourth goal with a penalty shortly before the break, but Müller parried against Cunha (45th + 2).

After the break, the trend continued for the Brazilians to gradually hand over control of the game to the German team.

However, the equalizer fell somewhat happily: A volley shot slipped over Amiri's foot so that the ball hit the Brazilian goal at the bottom right (56th).

Shortly afterwards, Germany was outnumbered: The already warned captain Maximilian Arnold left the leg against Brazil's old star Dani Alves and saw yellow-red (62nd).

Nevertheless, the DFB selection made it to catch up when the substitute Ache headed a cross from David Raum into the goal (84th).

However, it was no longer sufficient for one point.

Unlike in Germany, the Olympic soccer tournament in Brazil traditionally has a high priority.

While in Germany a number of candidates for the games in Japan did not receive approval from their clubs, the Brazilians came with a team made up of stars and top talent.

The Seleção are favorites for gold and also to win Group D, in which the Ivory Coast had previously defeated Saudi Arabia.

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