Germany 3
Cacau 16, 59; Scicluna 60 og
Malta 0
Cast in the role of sparring partners for a Germany team readying itself for the World Cup, Malta were under no illusion about the magnitude of the task awaiting them at the Tivoli Stadium in Aachen yesterday.
With the supporting cast on Joachim Loew's roster keen to stake their claim for a place in the final 23-man squad, Germany tore into Malta from the referee's initial peep. Their slick approach made life torrid for the Maltese players in a frenetic opening that saw Germany mount wave after wave of attacks.
Justin Haber had his work cut out as the Malta goalkeeper vindicated John Buttigieg's faith in him with a catalogue of fine saves to thwart the perky Germans time and again.
After Cacau put Germany in the driving seat on 16 minutes, fears of a repeat of Malta's 7-0 debacle in Freiburg six years ago resurfaced but Buttigieg's charges grew in confidence as the first half gathered pace, also going close to levelling the match after a fine move.
Two goals in the space of a minute around the hour mark, the second a classic own goal by Kenneth Scicluna, blotted Malta's copybook as Germany ran out 3-0 winners but it was not all doom and gloom for our elite players.
Germany's victory was never in doubt but there were passages during the game where Malta really produced constructive football with Roderick Briffa turning in one of his best performances in a Malta shirt.
Malta's efforts to play quick passes are to be lauded but this was also a match that again exposed the perpetual weaknesses of our football as for long stretches, our players were outclassed and outthought by their superior opponents who would have won by a bigger margin but for Haber's brilliance, some fine interceptions by Andrei Agius and a dose of good luck.
Buttigieg's initial formation contained one notable surprise, namely the inclusion of Massimo Grima. The Qormi midfielder flanked Jamie Pace in central midfield as Ryan Fenech was moved to the left with Briffa manning the right wing.
Andrew Cohen was handed a more attacking role behind main striker Michael Mifsud. Malta's captain yesterday, as Buttigieg left Daniel Bogdanovic on the bench.
The atmosphere at the renovated Tivoli Stadium was electrifying with 27,000 fans intent on showing their support for their World Cup-bound national team.
Amid a sea of 'Deutschland' scarves and flags, there was also the odd Maltese flag, one of which bore the words 'Supporters Carmel Busuttil'. Busuttil, who had his fan club during his playing days with Belgian club Genk, is now the assistant of national coach Buttigieg.
Only three minutes from the start had elapsed when Haber was scampering down to his right to stop a low shot by Piotr Trochowski.
Buttigieg was forced into his first substitution as early as the eighth minute after Pace suffered what appeared to be a knee injury in a corner action. Trevor Cilia came on for Pace as Briffa was repositioned to central midfield alongside Grima.
Trochowski was proving a handful for Malta with his speedy forays on the right. On one occasion, he dallied into the box before squaring to Cacau who hit a piledriver but Agius was on the right spot to block the danger.
Germany's quick passing and off-the-ball movement gave them an early foothold and an early breakthrough. The scoreboard marked 16 minutes gone when Dennis Aogo made headway on the left and swung over a cross that Cacau headed past Haber.
When the erstwhile untested Manuel Neuer saved a weak shot by Fenech, the crowd responded with a sarcastic applause.
At the other end, Haber denied Germany a second goal when he pulled off a top-drawer save to palm away Kroos's half-volley.
A brilliant move by Malta carved the Germany defence open as Briffa released Cohen who held off his marker before letting the ball run to the steaming Briffa. The Valletta midfielder looked odds-on to score but he miscued his shot and Neuer smothered the ball away.
Two minutes later, Haber thwarted Germany again when pawing away Stefan Kiessling's goalbound header from Aogo's right-wing corner. The Malta goalkeeper was at it again on the half-hour as he leapt to his right to get a decisive touch to another Kiessling header.
The German onslaught continued. Haber parried away a stinging drive from Kroos but the loose ball squirmed into the path of Trochowski but his low cross whistled past his lunging team-mates.
Kiessling had the ball in the net on 33 minutes but the Bayer Leverkusen striker was adjudged to have been in an offside position.
Germany were clearly the better team but Malta began to show themselves more often in opposing territory as the first half moved on. Thriving in a central position, Briffa was at the heart of Malta's attacking endeavours. Grima also improved after a difficult start.
Four minutes from half-time, Haber saved a header from Cacau who had jumped high to meet a corner by Kroos.
Further proof of Malta's improvement came two minutes from half-time when the visiting team won a corner. As Germany failed to clear, the ball was dinked towards the right where Cohen traded passes with Briffa before producing a curling drive that drifted wide of the far post.
On the stroke of half-time, Kiessling blasted over after being set up by Andreas Beck and, seconds later, Haber came to Malta's rescue again when closing down the goalbound Kroos who had been sent clear by Arne Friedrich.
Three minutes into the second half, Agius did well to get his body in the way of a Podolski strike.
Cacau notched Germany's second goal one minute short of the hour. The Stuttgart forward sidefooted the ball into an empty net after Podolski's astute run into the box had unlocked the Malta defence.
Within a minute of Cacau's second goal, Malta could have pulled a goal back when Briffa lofted the ball into the box and towards Cilia but the latter volleyed over.
Malta's predicament deepened on the hour when substitute Kevin Grosskreutz played in Podolski who again drifted into the box before delivering a dangerous cross which Scicluna fired into his own net in an attempt to clear.
After sending a header wide of the far post, Cacau again came close to completing his hat-trick when he rose to meet Aogo's service but Haber stood firm.
Germany's third goal shattered Malta. Loew's men threatened to extend their advantage but Trochowski's spinning free-kick was high.
As the game entered its final stages, Germany produced a flurry of scoring chances but a combination of heroic defending by Malta and luck prevented the home team from adding to their score.
A minute from time, Kiessling powered his way into the box and unleashed a strong drive that Haber somehow managed to keep out of goal. The ball ricocheted off the Malta goalkeeper's legs but Agius slid back to avert the danger.
In next to no time, Trochowski summoned a diagonal shot that cannoned off the near post.
Comments
John Buttigieg (Malta coach): "It was a very good experience for my team as they are not used to playing at this level. I am not quite satisfied with the result as we conceded two goals through counter-attacks."
Joachim Loew (Germany coach): "We created many scoring chances but this is what we expected to do before the match. We have won by three goals but we really should have scored more considering the opportunities we had."
Germany
M. Neuer, A. Friedrich ('72 H. Westermann), S. Tasci ('46 M. Hummels), S. Khedira ('72 S. Reinatz), S. Kiessling, L. Podolski, P. Trochowski, T. Kroos ('57 K. Grosskreutz), Cacau, A. Beck ('57 C. Trasch), D. Aogo ('79 J. Boateng).
Malta
J. Haber, A. Muscat, S. Bajada, M. Grima ('74 I. Woods), A. Agius, R. Fenech ('66 C. Failla), R. Briffa, M. Mifsud ('82 D. Bogdanovic), A. Cohen, K. Scicluna, J. Pace ('9 T. Cilia).
Referee: Alain Hamer (Luxembourg).
Yellow card: Bajada.
Attendance: 27,000.
Malta players' ratings
Haber-8, Muscat-5.5, Bajada-5, Grima-5.5, Agius-7, Fenech-5.5, Briffa-8, Mifsud-4, Cohen-5.5, Scicluna-4, Pace.
Subs: Cilia-5, Failla-4, Woods, Bogdanovic.