Goals: Germany—Schurrle 92’, Ozil 120’; Algeria—Djabou 120’+1
Recap: It took 120 minutes, but Germany was finally able to beat Algeria 2-1 on Monday, advancing to the quarterfinals.
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A frustrated German side dominated possession of the ball in the first half, but to no avail. Tactical substitutions from head coach Joachim Loew opened the affair in the second. The goals, however, refused to come. That would change just two minutes into extra time. A world-class flick from Andres Schurrle was able to beat Rais M’Bolhi. Mesut Ozil sealed the victory in the dying minutes of the match.
Key Moment: It was the tactical substitution that decided the contest. The infusion of Schurrle’s talents at halftime allowed Germany to make effective, penetrating runs in the second half. The 23-year-old eventually contributed the defining moment of the evening.
Man of the Match: Algeria isn’t even in a position to play bonus football if not for M’Bolhi. The 28-year-old made 10 saves on the night, each as breathtaking as the next.
Lesson Learned: Manuel Neuer wanted to be a striker growing up. The German keeper was never shy to come off his line, sweeping away any penetration from the Algerian attack. He executed it to perfection on Monday, but a repeat performance against a more potent French side could lead to a costly error that determines the match.
#GER: Manuel Neuer's Heat Map vs #ALG. #GERvsALG pic.twitter.com/93W0QN17Ue
— Ben Jata (@Ben_Jata) June 30, 2014
Up Next: Germany is scheduled to meet with France on July 4, while Algeria returns home to prepare for the next World Cup cycle.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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