It is rare to see Germany sitting as low as fourth in a table of any kind, let alone a European Championship qualifying table. However, the defeat against Poland sees them sit behind the Polish, the Irish and the Scottish. The Germans did not play particularly poorly against Poland. They were the dominant side; they dominated possession and threatened Wojciech Szczesny's goal time and time again. Karim Bellarabi was especially guilty of not hitting the back of the net considering the number of chances he had although he had a good debut overall. Lukas Podolski hit the post after his introduction as well.
Joachim Löw cut a frustrated figure after the match but did not use the absence of important players such as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Özil as an excuse. This was only the second competitive match the Germany side has played without Philipp Lahm. Overall, the team is still adjusting to life after a World Cup victory. Also, Löw's midfield is missing a strong defensive midfielder due to the absences of both Sami Khedira and Schweinsteiger.
He seems to prefer the somewhat inexperienced Christoph Kramer who has done a good job so far but does not have the experience to spot danger quickly. Toni Kroos plays next to him; Kroos' troubles in a defensive position at Bayern and Germany are well documented. He is definitely talented but he is not one to sit in front of a defense. Hence, Löw decided to play him slightly forward against Poland.
Now, three points becomes vital for Germany against the Republic of Ireland. Robbie Keane struck a hattrick for the Irish as they put seven past Gibraltar to secure their spot in the table behind Poland. They have the same number of points as the Polish of course, having won both their fixtures to date. Ireland will not look back fondly at their past two meetings with Germany. The Germans put three past them at the end of 2013 in a World Cup qualification match. The earlier meeting in Ireland resulted in a lopsided 1-6 victory for the Germans.
However, Germany is yet to hit top gear. Can Ireland take some points off their rivals? Interested in learning more about Euro 2016 Qualifying? Check out our Euro 2016 Qualifying Page.
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