Extra-time goals by substitute Andre Schuerrle and Mesut Ozil sealed
Germany's 2-1 win over Algeria in Monday's last 16 clash and put the
three-time winners into the World Cup quarter-finals. The victory at
Porto Alegre's Beira-Rio Stadium was Germany's first over Algeria at the
third attempt, but this was a far from impressive display by the
Germans over 120 minutes.
Schuerrle's deft flick on 92 minutes, then Ozil's 119th-minute tap-in
was enough to put Joachim Loew's Germany into Friday's quarter-final at
Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium against France. Algeria
grabbed a deserved consolation for a battling display just before the
final whistle as replacement Abdelmoumene Djabou claimed his second
World Cup goal.
The stats show Germany had more than three times as many shots on
goal as Algeria and their lack of finishing will be a concern for Loew.
Much of the pre-match talk had been of Algerian revenge more than three
decades after the 'Shame of Gijon' when Germany's mutually beneficial
1-0 win over Austria sent Algeria home from the 1982 World Cup.
But Germany progress to the last eight at the expense of the north
Africans, who had reached the last 16 of a World Cup for the first time.
Schuerrle's opening goal was just reward for a battling display as he
created a string of chances after replacing the ineffective Mario Goetze
at the break.
A blocked Goetze shot and a Thomas Mueller header were all Germany
had to show for an opening 45 minutes which allowed Algeria to grow in
confidence. Sampdoria's Shkrodan Mustafi, who later limped out with a
second-half hamstring injury, was a late call-up before kick-off at
right-back in a reshuffled defence as flu-victim Mats Hummels dropped
out.
Algeria had by far the better of the opening exchanges and forward
Islam Slimani had the ball in the German net on 16 minutes, but was
flagged for offside. Schuerrle made the difference after the break as
left-back Benedikt Hoewedes headed straight at M'Bolhi, while Germany
captain Philipp Lahm fired wide with a long-range effort on 54 minutes.
Mustafi's injury brought Real Madrid's defensive midfielder Sami
Khedira off the bench for the last 20 minutes as Lahm slotted into
right-back. Algeria kept pushing forward, but only a crucial M'Bolhi
save denied Mueller with a bullet-header on 80 minutes before he hit the
side netting moments later.
Extra-time had barely begun when Mueller fired in a cross which
Schuerrle deflected into the back of the net with a deft flick to spare
German blushes.
Algeria kept up the fight and Mostefa was left with his head in his
hands when he fired wide just before the end of the first period of
extra time.
Ozil looked to have killed off Algeria's hopes when he added the
Germans' second just before the final whistle after an exchange of
passes with the impressive Schuerrle. But there was still enough time
for Djabou to blast home a thunderbolt of a shot to spark faint hope
before the referee ended Algeria's quarter-final dreams.
Source : dfb.de