Germany misplaced a World Cup qualifying recreation for the first time in 20 years because the 2014 champion was overwhelmed 2-1 by North Macedonia. Germany leveled after Goran Pandev’s opening objective in first-half stoppage time however had no reply to Eljif Elmas’ Eighty fifth-minute winner for North Macedonia, which moved above Germany into second place in Group J on Wednesday.
Armenia is the shock chief as the one crew to win all three video games thus far, after coming from behind to beat Romania 3-2.
“The fact is that that this obviously shouldn’t happen,” Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan instructed broadcaster RTL.
Pandev opened the scoring when Germany’s protection utterly misplaced monitor of the veteran Genoa ahead. However, Gundogan equalized from the penalty spot in the 63rd after Leroy Sane was introduced down by Ezgjan Alioski.
North Macedonia may have had a penalty for obvious handball by Emre Can at a nook, but it surely wasn’t noticed by the referee. There isn’t any video assessment system for qualifiers. Soon after, Timo Werner missed Germany’s greatest likelihood to go forward, scuffing a shot badly extensive when one-on-one with the goalkeeper off Gundogan’s cross on the break.
As Germany pushed for an additional objective, it was North Macedonia which made the breakthrough. Arijan Ademi squared the ball by means of Antonio Rudiger’s legs as Pandev drew away the German defenders, leaving area for Elmas to attain previous Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
“I feel like they were in front of our goal twice and scored twice,” Gundogan mentioned.
“Twice there’s a man standing there completely free and that shouldn’t happen.”
Germany had gone 35 video games unbeaten in World Cup qualifying since a 5-1 loss to England in Munich in 2001, and had gained its final 18 in a row because it pursues a spot on the 2022 match in Qatar. North Macedonia has by no means performed at a World Cup however will make its match debut on the European Championship this yr after Pandev scored the profitable objective in a playoff in opposition to Georgia in November.
It was the final qualifying recreation in the 15-year reign of Germany coach Joachim Loew, who’s stepping down after the European Championship in June and July.
Armenia on prime
Trailing 2-1 in the 87th minute, Armenia scored twice to beat 10-man Romania 3-2 for its third straight win in World Cup qualifying. Armenia has by no means come near qualifying for a World Cup earlier than, however these three wins already make it the nation’s second-best qualifying marketing campaign. It’s a outstanding turnaround for a rustic that was overwhelmed 9-1 by Italy as lately as 2019.
Eduard Spertsyan’s deflected shot in his first worldwide recreation gave Armenia the lead in the 56th however Romania hit again when Alexandru Cicaldau tapped in a cross which had taken a lucky ricochet. Cicaldau then made it 2-1 with a deflected header, however Romania ahead George Puscas was despatched off in the 78th when he went for a harmful excessive problem and his foot struck an opponent in the chest.
Romania clung onto its lead till the 87th, when Armenia captain Varazdat Haroyan turned in Tigran Barseghyan’s cross from what Romania firmly felt was an offside place. Two minutes later, Armenia was forward once more after Spertsyan was tripped and Barseghyan transformed the penalty with virtually no run-up.
Romania has performed on the World Cup seven instances, however not since 1998, and its wait appears set to proceed after starting the group-stage marketing campaign with one win and two losses. Iceland beat Liechtenstein 4-1 to finish a seven-game shedding run.
