Soccer Football - Nations League - Group Stage - Germany v Bosnia and Herzegovina - Europa Park Stadion, Freiburg, Germany - November 16, 2024 Germany's Florian Wirtz in action REUTERS/Heiko Becker
FREIBURG, Germany (Reuters) -Germany dismantled visitors Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-0 on Saturday with a statement win and two goals apiece from Florian Wirtz and Tim Kleindienst to secure top spot in their Nations League group A3 with a game to spare.
The Germans, who had already qualified for next year's quarter-finals of the competition, are on 13 points with Netherlands in second place on eight, and are eager to re-establish themselves as an international force ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
"We have no injuries from the game and our counter-pressing was extraordinarily good," said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann after the biggest win for the team since he took over last year.
"And then to score seven goals against an opponent sitting so deep is something.
"We wanted to win possession and then quickly play the ball forward, be quick in transition and find those runs, something we did not do often enough at the Euros (in June). We did it well," Nagelsmann added.
Germany, travelling to Budapest to face Hungary on Tuesday for their last group match, took the lead with in-form Jamal Musiala's looping header after only 90 seconds.
The Bayern Munich attacking midfielder has now scored in his third consecutive game for club and country.
Everything seemed to be working seamlessly for the hosts and they doubled it with striker Kleindienst's first Germany goal in the 23rd minute after he turned in Robert Andrich's shot.
Kai Havertz twice came close in an explosive first half before getting on the scoresheet in the 37th after a quick one-two with Wirtz, who bagged Germany's fourth goal five minutes after the restart with a dipping free kick that caught Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj off guard.
With Bosnia's defence in complete disarray and unable to handle their opponents' speed, the hosts showed no signs of easing off and kept pouring forward.
Wirtz tapped in at the far post in the 57th for his second goal of the evening before substitute Leroy Sane made it half a dozen goals for Germany nine minutes later.
The Bosnians' misery was complete in the 79th when Kleindienst slid in to make it 7-0.
(Reporting by Karolos GrohmannEditing by Christian Radnedge)
