Germany sealed their place in the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time since 2014 as they came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto on Saturday.
The Ivory Coast took the lead in the 30th minute as Franck Kessie fired home the rebound from a blocked Amad Diallo shot.
Germany toiled from there, and for a while, it looked like they’d be on the end of a group stage shock. However, super sub Deniz Undav found the goals needed to flip the result, much to the relief of Julian Nagelsmann.
The Ivory Coast will take plenty of confidence from the performance despite the result, while Germany can start plotting their path through the knockout rounds.
Nagelsmann gamble pays off as Germany salvage result
This was not a pretty German performance. In fact, it was anything but.
Yes, Die Mannschaft dominated possession and created six big chances, alongside 16 shots. However, they often toiled against a robust, hard-working and incredibly dynamic Ivorian side.
But it’s these sorts of tight encounters where managers really earn their pay, and Julian Nagelsmann did just that here.
The introduction of Deniz Undav and Nadiem Amiri in place of Aleksandar Pavlovic and Jamal Musiala on the hour mark raised eyebrows, with two Bayern Munich stars withdrawn for Stuttgart and Mainz players.
However, it turned the game on its head, with Undav picking up where he left off against Curacao by making a late run into the box and converting a cross, which Amiri delivered — both subs combining to level the match just eight minutes after coming on.
Nagelsmann looked understandably pleased with himself when the ball hit the net, and he was ecstatic in second-half stoppage time as Undav expertly controlled and finished Felix Nmecha’s fizzed pass to seal all three points.
Undav has played 56 minutes at this World Cup so far and has used them to deliver three goals and two assists.
Germany are now through to the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time since they won the tournament in 2014. Back where they belong.
Sangare leads stifling Ivorian effort
The Ivory Coast will be wondering exactly how they managed to lose this match.
For so long, they stifled the four-time champions with their defensive aggression, discipline and relentless running.
Ibrahim Sangare spearheaded that effort.
The Nottingham Forest star was a one-man destructive force in the Ivory Coast midfield, halting German advances with no fewer than seven tackles, alongside two interceptions, two recoveries, a block and a clearance.
Sangare won all seven of his ground duels in Toronto, while showing ice-cold composure on the ball by completing 34 of his 38 passes, including four into the final third.
Sangare’s tireless defensive shift set the platform for the likes of Yan Diomande and Amad Diallo to terrorise the German defence at times.
Unfortunately, it was all for nothing as the game slipped away from the Ivory Coast at the death. But if Sangare and his teammates repeat this performance against Curacao, a World Cup knockout debut will be theirs.
Mercurial Wirtz frustrates
There is very clearly a world-class player in Florian Wirtz. He proved that at Bayer Leverkusen, and he’s shown glimpses of it since joining Liverpool.
However, glimpses are not enough for a player of his calibre and price tag, and on Saturday, he once again dazzled and frustrated in equal measure.
Wirtz showed plenty of creative genius, setting up two chances, including one big chance, while he also completed two of his four dribbles and played nine passes into the final third.
But on the other side of the coin, the 23-year-old missed a golden chance just before half-time, while he repeatedly ran down blind alleys and tried to force square pegs through strictly round holes in the Ivorian defence.
What’s more, Wirtz’s efforts without the ball were, at times, laughable, with the Anfield man being dribbled past a match-high six times and losing 10 of his 15 ground duels.
Wirtz is playing like a man on the edge of brilliance at this tournament. However, he’s still sitting on the wrong side of the genius line if he wants to lead Germany to a deep run.
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