COLOGNE • Joachim Low’s 14-year reign as Germany head coach is under pressure after his side’s run of poor results continued on Tuesday, as they had to come from two goals down to limp to a 3-3 draw against Switzerland in the Nations League.
Germany have drawn four of their last five games – surrendering the lead on three occasions – to leave them second in their Nations League group behind Spain.
They squeezed past Ukraine 2-1 with a full-strength side in Kiev on Saturday and after a 3-3 friendly home draw against Turkey last Wednesday, Low’s side were once again guilty of poor defending.
“Sure, when you concede three goals, the defence isn’t good,” admitted Toni Kroos, who was at fault for the second Swiss goal.
The 60-year-old Low has a German FA contract until the 2022 World Cup. However, his popularity among fans has plummeted – from the heights of winning the 2014 World Cup title – since Germany’s debacle at the Russia 2018 finals when they failed to get out of their group.
Dinamo Zagreb striker Mario Gavranovic scored goals either side of a deft chip by Remo Freuler as all three Swiss goals came from German mistakes.
Germany fought back behind closed doors with goals by Timo Werner, his Chelsea teammate Kai Havertz and Serge Gnabry.
“We always came back, despite a lot of setbacks, so we showed some good morale,” said Havertz, putting a positive spin on a disappointing evening for the Germans.
On the eve of the game, Low said he expected “concentration, precision, courage”, but it was the Swiss who showed those character traits to take a 2-0 lead.
The German defence was caught napping with just five minutes gone. Right-back Robin Gosens lost the ball, which led to Gavranovic heading over German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into goal.
A weak clearance by Neuer then invited Gavranovic to claim his second, but the striker fired just wide.
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20%
Germany’s win rate in their last five games.
The Swiss grabbed their second however when Kroos surrendered possession. Haris Seferovic flicked the ball across the box to Freuler, who had the time and space to chip Neuer on 26 minutes to leave Low fuming on the sidelines.
The third Swiss goal was scored when Gavranovic slammed home a shot after the German defence had again been pulled apart.
It meant the Germans have conceded six goals in Cologne in the space of seven days.
But Low remained defiant, saying: “We started badly but showed great attitude in coming back.
“That was positive. In defence we made our share of mistakes which we have to stop. But we showed that the team is ready to fight.”
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS