Germany will face Belarus on Saturday (20:45 CEST) in their second qualification match for the 2020 European Championship. The sole meeting between the two teams took place 11 years ago—this upcoming match will mark a milestone for Germany. DFB.de has all the facts ahead of the duel in Borisov.
The record: It’s just the second time Germany will face Belarus, and the first time they will play away against Belarus. The two teams previously played each other on 27th May 2008 in Kaiserslautern. Germany were up 2-0 at halftime thanks to goals from Miroslav Klose (10’) and an own goal from Vladimir Korytko (20’). But, a brace from Vitaly Bulyga (61’, 88’) saw the match end 2-2.
Streak: Germany’s 3-2 win against the Netherlands ensured they remain undefeated in the last four matches. It was also the team’s first away win after a four-game losing streak on the road with one draw and three losses.
Qualification specialists: After a 1-0 loss to Ireland on 8th October 2015, Germany has gone on to win all 12 of their World Cup and European Championship qualification matches, with a goal difference of 48-7. Germany have lost just two of their last 53 qualification matches (46 wins, five draws). Germany’s second-longest win streak in World Cup and European Championship qualification matches came between 2010 and 2012 when they won 13 in a row. The team will be able to match this record with a successful showing in Belarus.
Milestone: The match against Belarus will be Germany’s 100th European Championship qualification match. After 99 games played, the team’s record is 70 wins, 20 draws, and nine losses. Julian Draxler could also make his 50th international appearance for Germany if he features against Belarus.
Constant presence: Joshua Kimmich has started all 15 matches for the national team since the start of 2018. Kimmich has started 39 of 40 matches since a 1-0 victory against Northern Ireland during the EURO 2016 group stage, only missing out on a 2-2 draw against France in Cologne in November 2017.
The opponent: Belarus have already played two of their EURO 2020 qualification matches. A 4-0 loss to the Netherlands was followed by a 2-1 loss against Northern Ireland in Belfast. Belarus are at the bottom of the table as they head into their two remaining qualification matches against Germany and Northern Ireland, both in Borisov. Currently, Belarus are ranked 81st in the FIFA world rankings with 1,301 points. Germany are ranked 68 spots above Belarus, in 13th with 1,570.
Coach: Igor Kriushenko has been head coach of Belarus since March 2017, taking over from Alyaksandr Khatskevich. The former defender played not only in his homeland, but also had stints in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In 2005, he took over at BATE Borisov, winning the double with them in 2006 before winning the league again in 2007. After that, he had stints at Dinamo Minsk, Sibir Novosibirsk, Shutan Guzar and Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino.
The squad: Syarhey Kislyak is the most experienced player in Belarus’ squad with 69 appearances. The all-time goal scoring record for Belarus is held by Stanislaw Drahun, who scored 10 times in 58 matches. The youngest player in the team is 21-year-old Zakhar Volkov, while the oldest at 33 is Igor Stasevich. Potentially making their debuts for the senior squad are Valeriy Gromyko, Kiryl Pyachenin and Volkov. With six players in the squad, Dinamo Brest is the best represented club, closely followed by BATE Borisov and Schachtjor Salihorsk with five each. Nineteen of the 28-man squad play in Belarus, with nine players from abroad.
Strong at home: Belarus are undefeated in their last nine home games. Their last loss at home came in a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in Borisov on 7th October 2017. The team also haven’t allowed any goals against in their last three matches. The last goal scored against them came in a 1-1 draw with Hungary on 6th June 2018.
The location of the game and the stadium: Borisov is the administrative centre of the surrounding district, with a population of close to 150,000. The city is located 70 kilometres north-east of the capital, Minsk, and is a two-hour flight from Berlin. The Borisov Arena has a capacity of 13,126 and is the home of BATE Borisov. The arena opened in May 2014 after nearly four years of construction.
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Germany will face Belarus on Saturday (20:45 CEST) in their second qualification match for the 2020 European Championship. The sole meeting between the two teams took place 11 years ago—this upcoming match will mark a milestone for Germany. DFB.de has all the facts ahead of the duel in Borisov.
The record: It’s just the second time Germany will face Belarus, and the first time they will play away against Belarus. The two teams previously played each other on 27th May 2008 in Kaiserslautern. Germany were up 2-0 at halftime thanks to goals from Miroslav Klose (10’) and an own goal from Vladimir Korytko (20’). But, a brace from Vitaly Bulyga (61’, 88’) saw the match end 2-2.
Streak: Germany’s 3-2 win against the Netherlands ensured they remain undefeated in the last four matches. It was also the team’s first away win after a four-game losing streak on the road with one draw and three losses.
Qualification specialists: After a 1-0 loss to Ireland on 8th October 2015, Germany has gone on to win all 12 of their World Cup and European Championship qualification matches, with a goal difference of 48-7. Germany have lost just two of their last 53 qualification matches (46 wins, five draws). Germany’s second-longest win streak in World Cup and European Championship qualification matches came between 2010 and 2012 when they won 13 in a row. The team will be able to match this record with a successful showing in Belarus.
Milestone: The match against Belarus will be Germany’s 100th European Championship qualification match. After 99 games played, the team’s record is 70 wins, 20 draws, and nine losses. Julian Draxler could also make his 50th international appearance for Germany if he features against Belarus.
Constant presence: Joshua Kimmich has started all 15 matches for the national team since the start of 2018. Kimmich has started 39 of 40 matches since a 1-0 victory against Northern Ireland during the EURO 2016 group stage, only missing out on a 2-2 draw against France in Cologne in November 2017.
The opponent: Belarus have already played two of their EURO 2020 qualification matches. A 4-0 loss to the Netherlands was followed by a 2-1 loss against Northern Ireland in Belfast. Belarus are at the bottom of the table as they head into their two remaining qualification matches against Germany and Northern Ireland, both in Borisov. Currently, Belarus are ranked 81st in the FIFA world rankings with 1,301 points. Germany are ranked 68 spots above Belarus, in 13th with 1,570.
Coach: Igor Kriushenko has been head coach of Belarus since March 2017, taking over from Alyaksandr Khatskevich. The former defender played not only in his homeland, but also had stints in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In 2005, he took over at BATE Borisov, winning the double with them in 2006 before winning the league again in 2007. After that, he had stints at Dinamo Minsk, Sibir Novosibirsk, Shutan Guzar and Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino.
The squad: Syarhey Kislyak is the most experienced player in Belarus’ squad with 69 appearances. The all-time goal scoring record for Belarus is held by Stanislaw Drahun, who scored 10 times in 58 matches. The youngest player in the team is 21-year-old Zakhar Volkov, while the oldest at 33 is Igor Stasevich. Potentially making their debuts for the senior squad are Valeriy Gromyko, Kiryl Pyachenin and Volkov. With six players in the squad, Dinamo Brest is the best represented club, closely followed by BATE Borisov and Schachtjor Salihorsk with five each. Nineteen of the 28-man squad play in Belarus, with nine players from abroad.
Strong at home: Belarus are undefeated in their last nine home games. Their last loss at home came in a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in Borisov on 7th October 2017. The team also haven’t allowed any goals against in their last three matches. The last goal scored against them came in a 1-1 draw with Hungary on 6th June 2018.
The location of the game and the stadium: Borisov is the administrative centre of the surrounding district, with a population of close to 150,000. The city is located 70 kilometres north-east of the capital, Minsk, and is a two-hour flight from Berlin. The Borisov Arena has a capacity of 13,126 and is the home of BATE Borisov. The arena opened in May 2014 after nearly four years of construction.
