Reigning World Champions Germany showcased their dominance with a commanding 4-1 victory over India in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 (Men) at the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Goals from Florian Sperling (7′), Thies Prinz (14′), Michel Struthoff (48′), and Raphael Hartkopf (55′) secured the win, while Gurjant Singh (13′) was the lone goal scorer for India.
With a long-standing rivalry between the two teams, the match was set to be an intense battle. India began with strong possession in the first five minutes, but Germany’s tactical attack soon broke through. In the 7th minute, Eric Kleinlein set up Florian Sperling, who executed a fine finish to give Germany an early lead. However, India responded swiftly, with Rajinder Singh—often likened to former captain Sardar Singh—delivering a precise cross to Gurjant Singh, who equalized in the 13th minute.
The first quarter continued to be action-packed, and Germany regained the lead in the 14th minute through a dramatic strike by Thies Prinz, despite Indian skipper Manpreet Singh’s brave defensive effort.
India ramped up their attacking intensity in the second quarter, with the young forwards testing Germany’s resolute defense. Nilakanta Sharma nearly set up Abhishek inside the circle, but the opportunity went unconverted. Another close call came in the 20th minute when Gurjant missed a deflection off a Rajinder pass. Meanwhile, Suraj Karkera, replacing Krishan Pathak in goal, made a brilliant save in the 28th minute after an Indian turnover from an aerial ball.
The third quarter remained goalless, though India had a golden opportunity to equalize in the 38th minute through a penalty corner. With Harmanpreet Singh rested, Jugraj Singh attempted the drag flick but couldn’t execute it effectively. India defended well in this phase, marking German attackers tightly.
However, Germany widened their lead in the 48th minute when Michel Struthoff capitalized on a penalty corner rebound, making it 3-1. India, desperate to claw back into the game, struggled to find the net, and their woes deepened when Raphael Hartkopf sealed the victory for Germany with a fourth goal in the 55th minute.
Despite India’s valiant efforts, Germany’s clinical finishing and tactical execution proved too strong, handing the hosts a 1-4 defeat in a thrilling encounter.