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Euro 2020 qualifiers: Joachim Low demands Germany reaction in Belfast after Dutch defeat

Euro 2020 qualifiers: Joachim Low demands Germany reaction in Belfast after Dutch defeat

Joachim Low shouts out instructions to his players during Friday's defeat in Hamburg
Joachim Low's tactical formation against the Dutch came in for criticism in the German media
Germany boss Joachim Low has demanded a reaction from his side against Northern Ireland on Monday after their home defeat by the Netherlands on Friday.
The Dutch team's 4-2 win in Hamburg kept Northern Ireland top of Group C in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign going into Monday's game at Windsor Park.
"We need to approach the game in such a way that we leave the pitch as winners," said the Germany boss.
"I am sure that we will see a reaction on Monday."
Borussia Dortmund full-back Nico Schulz has been ruled out of the game in Belfast because of a foot injury after playing in Friday's defeat.

German squad overhauled after dismal World Cup

Germany had just begun to find their feet after a long period of recovery from their disastrous campaign at last year's World Cup.
The group stage exit in Russia prompted a major generational overhaul, and after three wins in a row in 2019, Low's new-look young team were full of confidence before Friday's game.
Victory would have put the Germans nine points clear of the Dutch and on the brink of automatic qualification.
Instead, they now find themselves only three points ahead of their neighbours, having played a game more.
"We will need to pick the young players up a bit and give them the feeling that they can be stronger," added the Germany boss.
Sandro Wagner scores from Germany despite Gareth McAuley's efforts during the World Cup qualifier in Belfast in October 2017
Germany have been regular opponents for Northern Ireland in recent campaigns

Low plans tactical changes in Belfast

Low, criticised for playing with a back three and allowing his team to sit deep against the Netherlands, said that he would make tactical changes for Monday's game.
"Northern Ireland are amazingly robust, they play a lot of long balls. They will sit deeper and we will not have much space, so we need to think of something tactically," he said.
The German media have been critical of the team's efforts against the Dutch.
Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel warned that "lessons must be learned" from the defeat while the country's biggest tabloid Bild said that "alarm bells" were now ringing around the qualification campaign.
Following Friday's jolting result, Germany keeper and captain Manuel Neuer has warned his team-mates not to underestimate a Northern Ireland team who have won their last five games.
"We know that anything can happen in football, we experienced that ourselves in 2018, so it is important we take this game seriously," he told Bild.
"It is not ideal for us to be playing an away game in Belfast right now. They have won all their games so far and it is always difficult to score goals against such opponents."

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