When Germany lost possession, there was no counter-pressing to win the ball back.īy adopting the same tactical approach as he did at Bayern, Flick has already increased Germany's ability to keep the pressure on their opponents. The lack of movement in Germany's attacks meant the North Macedonian defence was rarely outmanoeuvred. They had plenty of possession but moved slowly down the field. That defeat by North Macedonia, who were ranked 65th in the world at the time, accentuated all the things that were wrong with the German team in the latter stages of Low's tenure. New boss Hansi Flick, who joined after 18 months in charge of Bayern Munich, has guided them to four wins from four qualifiers, including three clean sheets and a return to the 'Bavarian' approach on which Germany have based much of their success.
However, with Monday's return fixture in North Macedonia looming, Germany's fans are seeing reasons for optimism again.
Manager Joachim Low had already announced he would be ending his 15-year reign as Germany boss after the summer's European Championship - a tournament that ended with a comprehensive defeat by England in the last 16.
