Four observations from Germany’s 1-0 escape over Oman

Germany won 1-0 against Oman in their tune-up for the 2022 Men’s World Cup, a performance that surely isn’t going to cut it once the real games come. Looked like a lively and fun atmosphere for the home crowd — and now the Germans will head back to camp facing question after question.

Germany are gonna get scored on

Yes, this was only a pre-tournament friendly, but this was also Oman. And oh man did Oman cut Germany open on the regular, especially in transition. In front of goal, the home side showed little quality but it’s easy to imagine the likes of Japan’s Takefusa Kubo or Spain’s Dani Olmo being far more ruthless.

The German attack is where, exactly?

It’s not even like Germany poured on the chances with their aggressive play. Instead, the Germans were imprecise with their touches, their passes, and their decisions — losing the ball in all manner of ways. Fine for a tune-up but you still would have hoped to see more. Lots to work on in training.

No spot is sacred

Well, okay, maybe Joshua Kimmich’s position as the six is. Germany — like Bayern Munich — miss so much when the tempo-setter is not in midfield. Aside from that, there’s an awful lot of quality that isn’t consistently realized — and correspondingly, room for hungry options currently on the bench to prove themselves if any of the big names don’t have the requisite energy.

Whither the spark?

There’s just a little bit of attitude missing on the pitch at the moment — the demanding of excellence, the unpredictable moments of magic, and the sense of iron-will-enforced togetherness that has always been the trademark of Bayern and Germany dominance. Niclas Füllkrug managed to show a bit of this in the second half, but was far too alone in that endeavor.

Players like Jamal Musiala and Thomas Müller can put their stamp on a game like few others can — will Germany show a different face once they return to the lineups? Hansi Flick will surely hope so.

Want more discussion of the game? Check out our postgame podcast! Listen below or on Spotify.

As always, we appreciate your support!