A 3-1 home victory against Poland saw the German national team take a big step towards qualifying for the European Championships in France next summer, as they sit atop the standings in Group D. Germany coach Joachim Löw spoke with DFB.de and discussed the performance of die Mannschaft, Mario Götze's brace as well as looking ahead to their next qualifying game with Scotland in Glasgow on Monday (20:45 CEST).
Question: How satisfied are you with the performance?
Joachim Löw: We only had one goal: To win the game and claim the top spot in the standings. That was the most important aspect of this game and we deservingly achieved it. Therefore, I'm very satisfied overall.
Question: Your team took an early two-goal lead, but still had to endure spells of pressure from Poland, why?
Löw: We played very well in the first 35 minutes and should've added a third goal to our lead. We then made mistakes which allowed Poland to create chances and they used one of them to make it 2-1. It was a close game again after that. But in the end we took advantage of our superiority. We showed a dominant performance for long spells in this game.
Question: Are you worried about the fact that many chances were left unused?
Löw: The first important step is to create many chances and at the end of the day we did score three goals today, but probably should've put the tie to bed earlier. It's certainly something we can still improve.
Question: What was your verdict on Mario Götze's performance?
A 3-1 home victory against Poland saw the German national team take a big step towards qualifying for the European Championships in France next summer, as they sit atop the standings in Group D. Germany coach Joachim Löw spoke with DFB.de and discussed the performance of die Mannschaft, Mario Götze's brace as well as looking ahead to their next qualifying game with Scotland in Glasgow on Monday (20:45 CEST).
Question: How satisfied are you with the performance?
Joachim Löw: We only had one goal: To win the game and claim the top spot in the standings. That was the most important aspect of this game and we deservingly achieved it. Therefore, I'm very satisfied overall.
Question: Your team took an early two-goal lead, but still had to endure spells of pressure from Poland, why?
Löw: We played very well in the first 35 minutes and should've added a third goal to our lead. We then made mistakes which allowed Poland to create chances and they used one of them to make it 2-1. It was a close game again after that. But in the end we took advantage of our superiority. We showed a dominant performance for long spells in this game.
Question: Are you worried about the fact that many chances were left unused?
Löw: The first important step is to create many chances and at the end of the day we did score three goals today, but probably should've put the tie to bed earlier. It's certainly something we can still improve.
Question: What was your verdict on Mario Götze's performance?
Löw: Mario was constantly on the move and created gaps and space for his team mates and he also scored two goals. He showed a very good performance.
Question: How do you rate the performance in the full-back positions?
Löw: We knew that we were taking a risk, if both of our full-backs were positioned high up on the pitch. Jonas Hector has so far always fulfilled our expectations and shown good, consistent performances in training sessions as well. His clarity and his simple, steady and reliable style of play and his solid technique have helped him do a great job.
Question: And debutant Emre Can?
Löw: I was satisfied with Emre Can as well. It wasn’t easy for him to face so much pressure in his first game. The role of right full-back is also one he isn’t as accustomed too. He usually either plays in a three-man backline or in defensive midfield. Considering that he showed a good performance and I'm satisfied with his debut.
Question: What do you expect from your next qualifying game against Scotland in Glasgow on Monday?
Löw: It will be a totally different game, because Scotland will be forced to play attacking football if they are to keep pace at the top of the standings after their defeat in Georgia. We will be prepared and highly focused in order to play a good game and also win in Scotland.
