Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has taken the blame for Germany’s amazing 2-0 defeat against neighbour’s Poland, believing he shouldn’t have come for a cross that led to the Poles opener.
The World Cup winners were dominating the match in Warsaw until they fell behind just six minutes after the break when Arkadiusz Milik met Lukasz Piszczek’s cross and headed past Neuer.
The Poles then sat back until two minutes from time when Sebastian Mila sealed the victory, leaving the German number one disappointed with his performance.
“I came out bravely for the first goal, but I was too late – it was a mistake by me,” he told reporters after Germany ended their run of 18 competitive fixtures without defeat.
The defeat leaves Germany third in Group D, three points behind Poland and the Republic of Ireland who both won their opening two games of the campaign.
Despite the defeat, Neuer is confident that his side will beat their rivals when the two teams meet again in Frankfurt next September.
“It was an avoidable defeat,” he said. “We didn’t play badly. If we had scored the first goal, then we would have won.
“It was clear beforehand that the task of winning here in Warsaw against Poland would be very difficult.
“But when we play in our own stadium in Germany, then we will win.”
Joachim Loew has demanded world champions Germany respond to their shock defeat to Poland by beating Ireland tomorrow to get their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign back on track.
Germany have the chance to bounce back when they host Martin O'Neill’s Ireland in Gelsenkirchen tomorrow, the same night Poland host Scotland.
