Germany 4-0 Belarus: Löw’s team reach 13th straight EURO

Germany qualified for a record 13th successive EURO with an emphatic home win.

Centre-back Matthias Ginter was the unlikely mastermind, opening the scoring just prior to the interval with an impressive back-heel before laying on Leon Goretzka with an equally cute dummy soon after the break.

Toni Kroos added two goals of his own – the first assisted by Ginter, the second a classy solo effort – to help Germany ease to victory. Manuel Neuer had helped their cause with a second-half penalty save.

GERMANY v BELARUS: AS IT HAPPENED

Reporter’s view

With one game to spare, Germany have qualified for the finals for a record 13th time in a row. This campaign has not been as flawless as those of the past major tournaments, but this is still a Mannschaft in the process of rebuilding and, with many absentees, tonight was not really about finding a team for next summer but about getting the job done.
Steffen Potter

State of play

• Germany have qualified.
• Belarus can no longer qualify via the European Qualifiers group stage; they will be in the play-offs as UEFA Nations League Group D2 winners.

Reaction

Joachim Löw, Germany coach: "We have reached our goal, the team has played well. We have seen good movements and play. Sure, not everything was perfect, but as a bottom line I am pleased with what I saw."

Toni Kroos, Germany midfielder: "We are still lacking a little bit in experience, but certain procedures are working better and better. We will know where we stand shortly before the tournament. Currently I would not count us amongst the top favourites. But that doesn't always mean anything."

Key stats

• Ginter scored his first Germany goal on his 29th appearance.
• The last time Kroos was directly involved in two Germany goals was in the 7-1 defeat of Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
  
• Germany have kept five clean sheets in their last seven matches, having only kept two in their previous 16 games.
• Germany have scored two goals or more in ten of their last 11 matches: 32 in total in their last 11 games.
• Löw is the longest-serving national team coach in current European football; he has been in charge of Germany since 12 July 2006.
• Belarus have lost seven of their last nine games.
• Belarus have only scored four goals in their last nine games.

Line-ups 

Germany: Neuer; Klostermann, Ginter, Koch, Schulz; Gündoğan, Kimmich, Kroos; Goretzka, Gnabry (Waldschmidt 84, Rudy 90+1), Werner (Brandt 68)

Belarus: Gutor; Matveichik, Martynovich, Naumov, Polyakov; Maevski; Kovalev (Skavysh 78), Dragun, Nekhaychik (Bessmertny 84), Stasevich; Laptev (Lisakovich 68)