Germany knocked off their perch by Poland

Poland 2 Germany 0

Warsaw’s Narodowy Stadium was rocking tonight as Poland blew Ireland’s European Championship qualification Group D wide open by the shocking World champions Germany.

Second-half goals from Arkadiusz Milik and substitute Sebastian Mila meant a first defeat for the Germans in 19 competitive matches since they lost the Euro 2012 semi-final to Italy in Warsaw.

Wojciech Szczesny played a key role in the win, denying the Germans an equaliser with a series of stops before the crucial second arrived two minutes from full-time.

The result hands the Poles the early initiative in the chase for one of the two automatic berths into the finals and increases the pressure on Ireland to take something in Gelsenkirchen on Tuesday when they meet the Germans.

Despite injury problems blighting their preparations, Germany’s line-up still featured eight players part of their team that beat Argentina in the World Cup final just three months ago.

In a surprise move, Joachim Löw overlooked the rising star of German football, Julian Draxler, to hand a starting spot to the uncapped Karim Bellarabi.

The Bayern Leverkusen winger, at 24, has enjoyed a stunning ascent over the past six months and received an abrupt introduction to senior international football with a couple of harsh challenges in the opening skirmishes.

Keen to suppress the raucous backing for the home side, Die Mannschaft played keepball for most of the early stages, with Toni Kroos controlling proceedings.

For all their composure in possession, though, Kamil Grosicki on the right wing was afforded far too much space by Eric Durm and a few of his crosses had Manuel Neuer scampering.

Still, the Germans fashioned a couple of openings themselves, Matt Hummel’s seeing his header deflected wide by Grzegorz Krychowiak on 16 minutes and Thomas Müller failing to finish when Jerome Boetang’s effort diverted onto his outstretched toe.

Poland failed to be dimmed, however, and they produced the best opening of the half when Lewandowski stayed onside from an inswinging free-kick only to poke his volley wide from six yards.

That miss certainly sprung the visitors into action, with Müller firstly firing wide and then heading over as the interval approached.

Poland emerged from the break with more purpose and soon edged ahead on 51 minutes.

When Germany failed to clear from a Polish breakaway, Lukasz Piszczek lofted a pinpoint right-wing cross for Milik to glance past the onrushing Neuer.

What followed was a German siege with substitute Lukas Podolski’s rifled shot that crashed off the crossbar eight minutes from time amounting to their best chance.

Szczesny may have been left static for that effort from his Arsenal teammate but he showed his reflexes to deny Bellarabi and Kroos with a pair of stellar saves.

With their goalkeeper in such fine form against a German side committing so many players into attack, there was always a chance of another Polish goal.

So when Mila was left alone in the box following a rapid surge upfield, the substitute was calmness personified as he placed his left-footed shot past Neuer from 10 yards.

Poland: Szczesny; Piszczek, Szukala, Glik, Wawrzyniak (Jedrzejczyk 84); Krychowiak, Jodlowiec, Rybus; Grosicki (Sobata 71), Lewandowski, Milik (Mila 78).

Germany: Neuer; Rüdiger (Kruse 84), Boateng, Hummels, Durm; Kramer (Draxler 72), Kroos; Bellarabi, Götze, Schürrle (Podolski 78); Müller.

Referee: P Proença (POR)