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Jamal Musiala (left) has strengths that help play off outsiders like Liechtenstein
Photo:
GIAN EHRENZELLER / EPA
In the end, there were only two goals between number 16 and number 189 in the Fifa world rankings: Hansi Flicks triggered the compulsory task of Liechtenstein on his debut as national coach, but no enthusiasm among the German football audience.
It is not too big a surprise that more than 85 percent possession of the ball in Sankt Gallen and 30 deals did not turn into the hoped-for victory for the Germans: The problems of the DFB team against particularly defensive-oriented opponents have dragged on through the last months and years. In the EM group stage against Hungary (2: 2) or in the World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia (1: 2) in March, this deficiency already cost points. The attacks often seem static and sedate, and the team rarely enters the penalty area if there is little space.
Joshua Kimmich said after the game that he had "almost never seen a team as deep as the Liechtenstein team."
The German interim captain, whose chip balls in the penalty area were a popular but rarely successful remedy against the football dwarf's bulwark, will soon be able to increase his wealth of experience: Also against Armenia on Sunday and against Iceland on Wednesday (8.45 p.m., TV: RTL, Liveticker: SPIEGEL) opponents are to be expected who will give the DFB team the ball.
And which will again raise the question: How do you crack such a defense?
There is still a nine missing
The German team does not have their problems against low opponents exclusively. But she lacks a means that many other favored national teams have: a center forward who can also make use of high passes. Someone like Robert Lewandowski, who set a new goal record in the Bundesliga under Flick at Bayern. Or like Cristiano Ronaldo, who saved his Portuguese against Ireland in the closing stages with a double header.
Players like Lewandowski and Ronaldo are world-class, but more than their class is missing their player profile in the German squad: They are characterized by their athleticism, their positional play and their coolness in front of the goal.
In the penalty area they are so dangerous in many ways - not only with deep runs and as reclaimers at the end of flat combinations, but also as target players for high crosses.
Flick does not have this option, his team is forced to combine on the ground due to their composition: No German offensive player won more than one header duel against Liechtenstein.
Timo Werner has his strengths when it comes to speeding counter-attacks, Kai Havertz has a good sense of space, but also prefers to have the ball on his foot.
New processes take time
Of course, switching to more wing-heavy and flank-heavy football would not solve the German team's problems in one fell swoop.
The inclusion of a real number nine as a "crowbar" for passive opponents and special game situations would, however, bring more diversity into the German repertoire, in order to be less calculable for the opponent, especially in the case of attacks from outside.
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the Premier League has shown for years that a storm tank is not absolutely necessary to play off "small" opponents: a perfectly organized positional play, a lot of speed and the necessary dribbling strength on the wing form an offensive that can also be done without a breaker in the middle of the storm, like no other, stands for goals.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the German team has the players to play a dynamic style similar to City, to create space for itself by shifting the game and to create danger with direct combinations and runs in depth.
At the same time, however, it is not to be expected that, after half a week of training, Flick has already laid the foundations to cast and combine the team on the pitch as if from one piece.
Flick lets go of the dribblers
On top of that, it will take time for Flick to find his starting lineup. Also because Thomas Müller is missing injured. At FC Bayern, Flick made the 31-year-old from the bench press under Niko Kovač back to the central figure in the offensive center of the field. Müller's strong communication skills on the field and his running paths, with which he makes himself playable even in the middle of the opposing formation, can help the team. But that his integration into the team will take time, was already indicated during the EM.
It was not by chance that two other personal details of "his" FC Bayern Munich were among the bright spots in Flick's first game: With Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala, Flick put on two real dribblers.
Winning one-on-one duels are another classic when it comes to playing a deep block.
At the same time, they were rare in the DFB team for a long time.
Sané was allowed to play against Liechtenstein at risk, scored 2-0 and despite the form crisis at FC Bayern was involved in eight German deals.
Musiala is still lacking consistency, but can, like before Werner's 1-0, play two or three opponents in a confined space without much attempt.
Already at the EM against Hungary, Musiala showed what added value this strength can mean after being substituted on.
The question of the center forward remains, even if only as a squad option.
No such type of player has such a high international level in Germany.
Flick proved that this does not have to be an exclusion criterion when nominating the squad: Left-back David Raum and speed striker Karim Adeyemi are also still apprentices - and yet they are already there.
U21 European champion and goal scorer Lukas Nmecha from VfL Wolfsburg could soon move into the field of view of the senior national team.
For the next two games against Armenia and Iceland, however, the same approaches as before are to be expected from the DFB team.
