Switzerland extend Germany’s wait for win in Nations League

Germany’s wait for a win in the Nations League continued with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland. Germany looked in control after Ilkay Gundogan’s 14th-minute goal on Sunday but slowly allowed Switzerland back into the game before Silvan Widmer levelled for the hosts.

Since 2018, Germany has played six games in the first two editions of the Nations League and won none of them, despite scoring the opening goal in its last four matches in the competition. Gundogan and other Germany players were sharply critical of their performance.

“It wasn’t our best game today, especially in the second half,” midfielder Julian Draxler told broadcaster ZDF, adding that the team “really slowed down” by the end.

Gundogan fired Germany into the lead with a powerful first-time shot into the bottom-right corner. Mattias Ginter had been blocked in near the touchline but showed good awareness to cut the ball back for Gundogan arriving on the edge of the penalty area. Especially after the Gundogan goal, Germany was happy to sit back and mostly threaten Switzerland on the counter-attack.

The closest Switzerland came to scoring in the first half was when Haris Seferovic hit the outside of the post from a narrow angle in the 43rd, but the Swiss increasingly imposed themselves on the game after halftime.

Widmer levelled with a fine shot in the 58th after Switzerland smartly moved the ball across the three-man German back line for Widmer to overlap on the right. Breel Embolo assisted the goal but left the field 14 minutes later with what appeared to be an ankle injury.

Granit Xhaka headed narrowly wide in stoppage time as Switzerland chased what would have been a morale-boosting win after a 2-1 defeat to Ukraine on Thursday.