Germany had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Serbia in Wednesday's friendly match, as Leon Goretzka scored their equaliser.
2019 Friendlies
1-1
Match Events
12' GOAL! Germany 0-1 Serbia (Jovic)
A beautiful one-two between Ljajic and Milenkovic-Savic forces Sule to concede a corner, and the former’s subsequent set-piece is flicked on by Maksimovic towards the in-form Eintracht Frankfurt striker in space, leaving him free to head the ball past Neuer for his first-ever international goal!
It's 1-0 to Serbia in the Volkswagen Arena, and Die Mannschaft’s World Cup hangover continues!
22' CLOSE! Werner's shot saved
Germany finally come alive after some sloppy play by Maksimovic, who cheaply gives the ball away in midfield and Klostermann plays in the Leipzig striker...
He is in acres of space with only Dmitrovic to beat but for the keeper’s outstretched leg to stop Die Mannschaft’s best chance of this game so far!
37' Germany waste a golden chance
Kimmich plays an excellent throughball towards Brandt, whose cut-back finds Havertz and the playmaker finds Werner with a cute pass only for Dmitrovic to pull off another miraculous save from the Leipzig striker with his feet!
41' Ljajic should have extended Serbia's lead!
Serbia make another brilliant break towards the German half, with skipper Rukavina releasing Lazovic out on the wing, and the latter’s low pass across the hosts’ penalty area bamboozles Tah and Sule.
It falls towards the Besiktas playmaker’s feet with the goal at his mercy only for his shot to balloon over the bar from about seven yards out! Huge let-off for Die Mannschaft as half-time approaches!
59' GREAT CHANCE! Reus' shot saved
Reus gets the ball after a German throw-in and does well to jink past a couple of players in red before unleashing a fierce drive that the Serbia keeper does well to beat away!
65' Another sitter missed by Die Mannschaft!
Maksimovic makes a wonderful sliding challenge to stop Gundogan from scoring in an empty net after the City midfielder rounded Dmitrovic with the goal at his mercy following Sane's brilliant backheel to release him!
69' GOAL! Germany 1-1 Serbia (Goretzka)
Serbia’s attempts to play the ball out from the back end in disarray as they carelessly give the ball away in midfield, allowing Reus to find Goretzka with the quickest of passes and the latter takes one touch before burying it past Dmitrovic to make it 1-1 at the Volkswagen Arena!
Reus, who has arguably been the home side’s brightest attacking spark since the interval, combines well with his fellow substitute to get the Germans back in the game.
73' Dmitrovic stops Sane once again!
Despite claims of handball, Reus controls the ball following Gundogan’s rushed pass before the Borussia Dortmund talisman plays his fellow winger in, who jinks past one defender before turning and rifling a shot towards goal that Dmitrovic is equal to!
90+4' RED CARD! Pavkov is sent off
Sane, who has been the Serbians’ main target all match, is brought down by a dangerous challenge by the substitute who could’ve broken the winger’s leg with that tackle!
Match Report
Leon Goretzka spared Germany's blushes as Joachim Low's men salvaged a 1-1 friendly draw with Serbia on Wednesday, their first game of a so-called new era without Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller.
Low shocked German football earlier this month when announcing the World Cup-winning trio were no longer in his plans, and while Goretzka’s goal avoided defeat in Wolfsburg, the defensive performance suggested Hummels and Boateng could still be of use.
Germany's new-look back four held firm for just 12 minutes, as Barcelona-linked Luka Jovic nodded in from close range, with Serbia looking the more threatening for the majority of the first half.
The hosts coped better with Serbia's ability on the break in the final 30 minutes and were deserving of their equaliser courtesy of Goretzka, though they were unable to find a winner despite the late dismissal of Milan Pavkov.
Line-ups
Germany XI: Neuer (C); Klostermann, Tah, Süle, Kimmich; Halstenberg, Gündoğan, Havertz, Sané; Brandt, Werner.
Subs: Trapp, Ter Stegen, Kehrer, Ginter, Eggestein, Kroos, Reus, Schulz, Rudiger, Stark, Goretzka.
Serbia XI: Dmitrović; Rukavina (C), Spajić, Milenković, Bogosavac, Maksimović; Gaćinović, Milinković-Savić, Lazović, Jović, Ljajić.
Subs: Rajkovic, Vasiljevic, Zivkovic, Pavkov, Mitrovic, Veljkovic, Lukic, Radonjic, Jovicic, Miletic.