The German national team get their World Cup preparation off on a sloppy start when their friendly match against Poland at Imtech Arena in Hamburg ended in a stalemate. The game which saw Germany far from their best; the team selection is very different from the formation played in the team last qualification 5-3 victory against Sweden in October 2013. The only surviving player on Coach Joachim Low’s team from that squad is Julian Draxler.
The game saw four players handed their full international debut; including centre-back Shkodran Mustafi. Earlier in the week the German Assistant Coach Hansi Flick has said players on the fringe of the team will be given the chance to prove their mettle.
The game did not offer much as it kicked off on a pedestrian start, with the high points of the match very few. Shots by Antonio Rudiger and Andre Hahn were cleared off the line but much was not offered by the host to show their desire to emerge victorious in the game.
With an appeal for a penalty at closing stage of the game which the referee David Fernandez Borbalan waved play-on when substitute Maximilian Arnold went down after muscling his way past three defenders.