Germany 1-2 North Macedonia: Germany Player Ratings as former champions suffer shock defeat | FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2022
Germany suffered a shock 1-2 defeat against North Macedonia to slip to third in their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification group.
The four-time champions looked comfortable on the ball and dominated possession against North Macedonia. But Goran Pandev caught Germany napping on the break as he opened the scoring.
However, Ilkay Gundogan netted the equaliser from the penalty spot to restore parity. Timo Werner then squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to seal all three points for Germany.
North Macedonia punished Germany for their profligacy when Eljif Elmas tucked in a cut-back from Arijan Ademi to seal a memorable win.
On that note, let's take a look at the Germany player ratings:
Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 6/10
Marc-Andre ter Stegen conceded twice, but there was very little he could have done on both occasions. Otherwise, Marc-Andre ter Stegen was great with his ball distribution from the back.
Matthias Ginter - 6.5/10
Matthias Ginter struggled all game with his positioning, as he received no help at the back from Leroy Sane, who was on the wing. The Borussia Monchengladbach defender was caught completely out of position for North Macedonia's winning goal.
Antonio Rudiger - 6.5/10
Antonio Rudiger was good on the ball but found it difficult to hold off attacks, as North Macedonia outnumbered him at the back.
Rudiger was beaten by Arijan Ademi before the latter set up Elmas for the visitors' second of the night. Rudiger was good with his distribution from the back, though, making ten recoveries during the game.
Emre Can - 5.5/10
Emre Can endured a difficult game against North Macedonia, with the former Liverpool star showing his inexperience in that position.
Can was caught napping for the visitors', as his poor positioning allowed Pandev to tap the ball in. Moreover, he was also lucky not to concede a penalty for a handball in the box.
Leroy Sane - 7/10
Leroy Sane dazzled against North Macedonia but failed to produce the end product. The winger broke through with his sizzling pace on numerous occasions. Sane won seven duels, completed three dribbles and made a few recoveries for his side. He also won a penalty for Germany, which Gundogan converted.
Joshua Kimmich - 7.5/10
Joshua Kimmich played his role quite perfectly. The Bayern Munich star successfully won three tackles, made 11 recoveries and won seven duels for his side as he orchestrated play for Germany.
Leon Goretzka - 7/10
Leon Goretzka linked up well with Joshua Kimmich and worked hard in the centre of the park. He came close to scoring Germany's opener, but his effort came back off the woodwork.
Ilkay Gundogan - 7.5/10
Ilkay Gundogan had a decent outing against North Macedonia. The Manchester City star scored the equaliser for Germany from the penalty spot. Gundogan could have done better going high up the pitch, though.
Robin Gosens - 5.5/10
Robin Gosens failed to impress against North Macedonia. The 26-year-old failed to offer anything both offensively as well as defensively. He looked clueless in his wide position and also struggled to cover for Can.
Serge Gnabry - 6/10
Serge Gnabry could have done better to lead Germany's attack. He could have been more clinical up front and scored at least once, considering the quality of the chances he had.
Kai Havertz - 6/10
Kai Havertz started ahead of Timo Werner in attack. The Chelsea star had his moments but was not much involved in the game. Havertz created two chances for Germany, though.
Ratings of Germany Substitutes
Amin Younes - 6/10
Amin Younes came on for Gosens in the 56th minute but hardly made any difference for his side.
Timo Werner - 5/10
Timo Werner replaced Havertz in the 56th minute, but the striker did nothing meaningful during his stay, though. Moreover, he missed a golden chance to seal the game for Germany.
Jamal Musiala - N/A
Jamal Musiala came on too late to merit a rating.