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European Championship | Qualifiers
Sep 7, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
SN

2-1

Muller (18', 70')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Anya (66')
Mulgrew (94')

Player Ratings: Germany 2-1 Scotland

:Headline: Player Ratings: Germany 2-1 Scotland: ID:175519: from db_amp
Sports Mole looks at who impressed in Dortmund as Germany start their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Scotland.

Germany kicked off their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign by recording a 2-1 victory over Group D rivals Scotland on Sunday night.

Thomas Muller made the difference for the World Cup winners with two goals either side of Ikechi Anya's goal for Scotland in the 66th minute.

Below, Sports Mole takes a look at who stood out for each team at Signal Iduna Park.


Germany

Goal

Manuel Neuer: The Bayern Munich shot-stopper was in fine form once again as he made a couple of crucial saves, while once again proving that he probably is the best sweeper-keeper in the world. (7/10)

Defence

Sebastian Rudy: He was asked to play in an unfamiliar role, and was often caught out by the pace of Ikechi Anya on a difficult night at the office. (6/10)

Jerome Boateng: Proved his worth on a tough night for the German defence, making a number of vital blocks and interceptions. (7/10)

Benedikt Howedes: Steven Naismith was a constant thorn in his side in the first half, but did manage to improve as the match went on. (6/10)

Erik Durm: Performed far better than he did against Argentina on Wednesday night, and provided a good option going forward. However, the German supporters will probably be slightly concerned with his defensive qualities. (6/10)

Midfield

Toni Kroos: The Real Madrid midfielder barely put a foot wrong all night, and dictated the tempo of the match with his excellent passing, despite being forced to sit slightly deeper in the second half. (8/10)

Christoph Kramer: His place in the side will be under threat when Bastian Schweinsteiger returns, but displayed why he is so highly rated by breaking up play and picking out his more creative teammates throughout the match. (7/10)

Marco Reus: It comes as little surprise to see him impress again, with Scotland often being caused problems when he was allowed to find gaps between the midfield and defence. However, a poor tackle from Mulgrew forced him off, and he could be set for a spell on the sidelines. (7/10)

Andre Schurrle: His decision making in the final third of the pitch was disappointing, but looked dangerous when drifting out to the left before cutting inside from the wing. (6/10)

Thomas Muller: Once again he proved just how important he is for Germany with two crucial goals. On another night he may have scored more, but will be happy with this display. (8/10)

Attack

Mario Gotze: Operated in a genuine false nine role, and did well to drop deeper to create spaces for other teammates. However, he drifted out of the game too often, and struggled to make an impact. (6/10)

Substitutes

Lukas Podolski: Probably on too late to make a difference, but made a couple of good runs as Scotland chased an equaliser. (6/10)

Matthias Ginter: Barely touched the ball after replacing the injured Reus in stoppage time. (5/10)


Scotland

Goal

David Marshall: Didn't have any chance of keeping out either of the two goals, and made a number of excellent saves to keep Scotland in the game. (7/10)

Defence

Alan Hutton: Struggled to get forward as much as he would have liked, but was solid under pressure from the likes of Reus, Schurrle and Gotze. (6/10)

Grant Hanley: Good display from the young centre back as he asserted his dominance in the air and kept Gotze quiet. (7/10)

Russell Martin: A lack of pace invited pressure from Schurrle and Reus, but looked comfortable for the majority of the game. (6/10)

Steven Whittaker: Much like Hutton, he was unable to get forward from wider positions, but battled impressively with Reus. (6/10)

Midfield

Darren Fletcher: Lasted less than an hour, but put in a good shift in the middle of the park as Kroos dictated the tempo of the match. (6/10)

Charlie Mulgrew: Tired late on after spending much of the match chasing the ball, and foolishly kicked the ball away in frustration in stoppage time to pick up a second yellow card. (5/10)

Barry Bannan: Certainly would have expected to be involved more often, but contributed well when tracking back and his manager will be pleased with his efforts. (6/10)

James Morrison: Struggled to enjoy any success going forward, and regularly became another defender when Scotland were under pressure. (6/10)

Ikechi Anya: The Watford winger was always an option on the break, and caused Germany problems with his pace going forward. Took his goal very well after missing a chance in the first half. (7/10)

Attack

Steven Naismith: An impressive performance from the Everton ace. Could have scored two goals on another night, but was a constant threat for the visitors with his intelligent link-up play. (8/10)

Substitutes

James McArthur: Should have cleared the ball moments before Muller scored the winner, and struggled to assert himself in dominance. (5/10)

Steven Fletcher: Provided more of a physical presence when coming on as a central striker, and played an excellent pass to Anya for the goal. (7/10)

Shaun Maloney: Barely involved in the game after being introduced in the 82nd minute, but his time will come in the qualifying campaign. (5/10)


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