Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

International friendlies: Muller's strike cancels out Rodrigo opener; Argentina down Italy

Thomas Muller's superb equaliser earned world champions Germany a 1-1 draw at home to Spain, who led through Rodrigo Moreno's early effort.

By Jamie Smith
Thomas Muller

Dusseldorf, March 24: Germany and Spain played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in in international friendly as part of the build up to the World Cup while Argentina, who rested Lionel Messi, beat Italy 2-0.

In the other key matches, Brazil beat 2018 hosts Russia 3-0, France lost to Columbia 2-3 at home despite taking a 2-0 lead, England beat the Netherlands 1-0 away and Portugal defeated Egypt 2-1.

Muller does rescue act

Germany 1-1 Spain

With the tournament in Russia less than three months away, a match between the two previous world champions at the Esprit Arena always looked a blue-chip affair and the game mostly lived up to the billing.

Andres Iniesta gave a first-half masterclass before departing at the interval, the Barcelona captain setting up Rodrigo Moreno for an early opening goal with a superb throughball.

But Germany levelled before the break with a fine goal of their own, Thomas Muller picking out David de Gea's top-right corner from 25 yards.

De Gea made a pair of superb stops to keep Spain level, a flying save from Julian Draxler drawing applause from the Paris Saint-Germain man before the goalkeeper plunged low to his right to keep out Ilkay Gundogan's placed effort.

Mats Hummels headed on to the top of the crossbar as Germany edged a second half disrupted by many substitutions from coaches Joachim Low and Julen Lopetegui, but a draw was a fair result.

Spain dominated the early stages and opened the scoring in the sixth minute.

Iniesta was given time and space to pick a pass and slid Rodrigo through on goal, the striker giving Hummels the slip and finishing well past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Jonas Hector almost earned Germany an immediate reply but sent a rocket of a volley flying narrowly over the angle after a poor clearing header from Gerard Pique.

Iniesta, running the game in midfield, lashed off-target at the end of a rapid Spain break that flowed beautifully through Koke, Isco and David Silva.

But as Germany gradually gained control the hosts levelled in stunning fashion in the 35th minute.

Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira shuffled the ball from the left to Muller, who marked his 90th cap in style with a lazy swing of his right boot that arrowed the ball out of De Gea's reach.

Easy for Brazil

Brazil continued their preparations for the summer tournament with a routine 3-0 win over hosts Russia in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium thanks to second-half goals from Miranda, Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho.

Argentina prevail

Ever Banega and Manuel Lanzini ensured Lionel Messi's absence was not keenly felt as they hit the target in Argentina's 2-0 win over Italy.

Messi, who has been struggling with a muscle problem, was not included and reduced to the role of spectator as Argentina dominated much of the encounter at the Etihad Stadium.

Italy's returning goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who reversed his decision to retire from international football following the Azzurri's failure to qualify for the World Cup, was kept busy throughout as he won his 176th cap.

Lingard on target

Jesse Lingard's maiden international goal ruined Ronald Koeman's debut in charge of Netherlands as England recorded a 1-0 victory in Amsterdam.

Lingard's first-time strike from the edge of the box in the 59th minute secured England a morale-boosting result as they stepped up their World Cup preparations.

Comeback win for Colombia

Colombia fought from 2-0 down to beat France 3-2 in Paris, with Juan Quintero netting the winner from a controversial late penalty.

The midfielder fired in five minutes from time at the Stade de France following goals from Luis Muriel and Radamel Falcao, after the home side had led through Olivier Giroud and Thomas Lemar.

Ronaldo double stuns Egypt

Cristiano Ronaldo's last-gasp double denied Mohamed Salah and Egypt victory as Portugal instead snatched a dramatic 2-1 friendly win in Zurich.

The Real Madrid star had been frustrated for long periods in a largely drab contest as Egypt's own leading light Salah looked to have taken the scalp of the European champions.

But a pair of stoppage-time headers from Ronaldo - the second allowed only after conference with VAR - turned the game on its head and showed just why Portugal cannot be written off ahead of the World Cup.

OTHER RESULTS

Scotland lost to Costa Rica 0-1

Norway bt Australia 4-1

Turkey bt Ireland 1-0

Uruguay bt Czech Republic 2-0

Nigeria bt Poland 1-0

Morocco bt Serbia 2-1

(Source: OPTA/Agencies)

Story first published: Saturday, March 24, 2018, 8:10 [IST]
Other articles published on Mar 24, 2018