Germany survives late scare to defeat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1
Ex-Brighton & Hove Albion man and current Stuttgart hotshot Undav struck twice in the space of five minutes in the first half before Edin Dzeko gave the hosts a lifeline, but Germany always looked the more likely to score again in the latter stages and came away with all of the spoils after a monumental effort.
Initially lamenting the absences of Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz, Germany could not pick the Bosnia-Herzegovina lock in the opening 25 minutes, being met with stiff resistance from Sergej Barbarez's men as the hosts dug in for a fight.
Germany breaks the deadlock with Undav’s brace
However, within the space of five minutes in the second quarter of the match, Undav had a brace to his name, firstly side-footing home after a delicate touch from Florian Wirtz before latching onto a Maximilian Mittelstadt delivery into the box.
While Julian Nagelsmann's team were highly comfortable for the most part, Bosnia-Herzegovina showed a glimpse of what they are capable of on the counter; Ermedin Demirovic struck the crossbar mere seconds after Germany were denied a penalty at the other end.
Bosnia-Herzegovina fights back, but Germany holds on for a hard-fought victory
Barbarez's side were immediately under the cosh at the start of the second period too, but after Undav had a hat-trick goal disallowed and Germany failed to add to their lead, Dzeko headed home to reduce the deficit and set up an unmissable final 20.
A member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina coaching team was sent off as tempers rose, but Germany were never under serious threat of throwing their advantage away as they moved onto seven points from three games in League A Group 3.
As the Netherlands could only manage a 1-1 draw with Hungary in the group's other game, Die Mannschaft are now two points clear at the top, while Bosnia drop to fourth after equalling their longest-ever winless run of nine straight matches.
Undav’s first goal
Germany have lift-off on the half-hour mark, as Undav is the beneficiary of an absolutely exquisite assist from Bayer Leverkusen star Wirtz.
The latter beats the offside trap with a perfectly-timed run to meet Robert Andrich's lofted pass, but rather than go for goal from a few yards out, he taps the ball back to the arriving Undav.
The Stuttgart striker ensures that Wirtz would not live to regret being unselfish with a clinical first-time finish into the bottom corner!
Undav scores his second of the game
Make that three goals in two starts for Germany for Undav, who doubles his and Die Mannschaft's tally for the night just five minutes after his opening strike.
On this occasion, left-back Mittelstaft delivers a low ball to the six-yard box, where Undav gets ahead of his man and comfortably side-foots home to put Germany in cruise control.
Germany misses chances, Bosnia-Herzegovina pulls one back
Undav momentarily thinks that he has his hat-trick goal, picking up the pieces after Tim Kleindienst's close-range effort is saved by Nikola Vasilj, but Kleindienst had just strayed offside as Mittelstadt delivered the cross.
Germany should have been out of sight, but instead, the 2014 World Cup winners are in for an incredibly nervy finale, as Bosnia-Herzegovina skipper Dzeko cuts the deficit in half!
The 38-year-old peels away at the back post to meet Benjamin Tahirovic's corner, and his header finds the bottom corner past Alexander Nubel, who did not cover himself in glory with a weak attempt to push the ball past the post.
Undav shines in his second start for Germany
Now boasting double the amount of goals than he has starts in a Germany kit, Undav has taken to international football like a duck to water, even if he was a very late bloomer on the international scene at the age of 28.
Undav took both of his first-half finishes like a seasoned poacher, and he would have gone home with the match ball had Kleindienst not strayed slightly offside before his disallowed goal in the second, but two was ultimately enough for Die Mannschaft.
Key Stats
Possession: Bosnia-Herzegovina 27%-73% Germany Shots: Bosnia-Herzegovina 8-12 Germany Shots on target: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-4 Germany Corners: Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-2 Germany Fouls: Bosnia-Herzegovina 10-9 Germany
What’s next?
Nagelsmann's side now embark on a long flight home and have just two full days to recover before they go again, hosting fellow heavyweights Netherlands at the Allianz Arena on October 14.
Meanwhile, Bosnia-Herzegovina hope to keep their slim chances of a top-two finish alive when they pit their wits against Hungary in Zenica at the same time on Monday evening.
Germany’s Nations League campaign is off to a strong start
Germany‘s Nations League campaign is off to a strong start. While they didn’t secure the full six points, their 5-0 thrashing of Hungary in the opener followed by a 2-2 draw against a formidable Netherlands side showcased their high level of play. Now, the Germans are aiming for the top spot in their group and know a win is crucial to achieve that goal.
Bosnia and Herzegovina desperately need points
Next up is Bosnia, who desperately need points to avoid relegation. Bosnia suffered a 5-2 loss to the Netherlands and a 0-0 draw with Hungary, making them clear underdogs, but they’ll be fighting hard to pull off a surprise against a tough German squad.
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Germany: How and where to watch
Fans can catch all the live action online, with streaming options available in your country.
Here are some of the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live:
- United States: Fubo (free trial), Fox Sports, ViX
- Canada: DAZN Canada
- Australia: Optus Sport
- United Kingdom: Viaplay International YouTube channel
- Germany: RTL+, RTL
You can also find a complete list of broadcasters by country on Livesoccertv.com.
If you are unable to view the game locally, you may need to use a VPN to watch the match. A VPN is also a great way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic.
Conclusion
The winless hosts take on League A, Group 3 leaders in Zeneca.
The Bosnians remain winless after their following up their 5-2 thrashing by the Netherlands in their opening match with a disappointing goalless draw with Hungary -- results that have extended their wait for a victory to a lengthy eight games across all competitions.
Germany meanwhile kicked off their campaign with a 5-0 trouncing at home to the Hungarians, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw with bitter rivals Netherlands in Amsterdam last time out.
Friday's game will be Germany Julian Nagelsmann's 15th in charge of the German national team.
With a squad severely lacking in Bayern Munich players, Germany defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2-1, in the third matchday of UEFA Nations League. Germany used a quick passing attack to dominate possession and keep the Bosnians on their heels. Thanks to a favorable result in the other Group A3 match, Germany sit alone atop the group.
The game was relatively uneventful until Florian Wirtz snuck behind the opponent’s defense in the 30th minute and gift wrapped a goal for Deniz Undav. Six minutes later, Maximilian Mittelstädt whipped in a beautiful cross to Undav to give Die Mannschaft an insurmountable lead. Edin Džeko scored a header in the 70th minute, but Bosnia and Herzegovina didn’t threaten Alexander Nübel for the rest of the match.
Bayern loanee Nübel earned his first international start, while Jamal Musiala, Aleksandar Pavlović, and Leroy Sané all missed the match due to minor injuries.
Admittedly, Džeko was largely ineffective tonight. But if you’ve ever played as a 38-year-old against guys who are fifteen years younger, then you understand how amazing it feels to score against an elite opponent in any league or competition. Džeko leads his country in caps and goals and he still knows how to get the job done.
This was not a normal Germany squad, but a win’s a win.
This was not a normal Germany squad, but a win’s a win.
