The midfield of Kimmich, Kroos & Gundogan did great job

In terms of Germany's 2-1 win over Peru, things seem to be heading in the right direction.

It was clear from the opening kick off that Germany had shifted their tactical approach to play more directly and press the opponent hard after losing the ball. In the first half, Germany had a lot of success transitioning quickly from defense to offense. The midfield of Joshua Kimmich, Toni Kroos, and Ilkay Gundogan did a great job of moving the ball up the pitch quickly to exploit holes in Peru’s defense. Their quick combinations, coupled with an increase in runs in behind the defense by all three attackers - Timo Werner, who once again lined up on the wing, Marco Reus, and Julian Brandt - allowed Germany to threaten goal constantly.

Though the game only ended 2-1, Germany could’ve scored three or four in the first half alone. Finishing has plagued this team for a while now, and their inefficiency in front of goal showed again today. Matthias Ginter missed a wide open header off a corner early, and Marco Reus badly mishit a low driven cross that surely would’ve resulted in a goal had he been able to put the ball on target. Timo Werner also didn’t have his best day in front of the goal and failed to get the ball past Peru’s goalkeeper on a number of occasions. With better finishing, this game could have been decided by half time.

Two positive games, both in terms of result and playing style, mark this international break a success. Experimenting with Kimmich and Ginter worked out well, and both looked good in their new (old) positions. Nico Schulz, Thilo Kehrer, and Kai Havertz all celebrated their international debut today, with Schulz even scoring a goal. The three debutants take Jogi Lows tally to 99 since taking charge of the team after the World Cup in 2006, and number 100 likely won’t have to wait long. After a dark few months for the national team after their disappointing performance this summer, as well as the controversies surrounding the side off of it, the team seems to be trending in the right direction.

Oh, and no injuries.