Under a clear Toronto sky in perfect weather conditions, Germany persevered and scored a stoppage time winner, coming from behind to win 2-1 against the Ivory Coast and sealing its place in the Round of 32.
Deniz Undav, as the substitute, made all the difference with a tremendous brace.
The four-time World Cup champion and eight-time finalist had a very difficult afternoon against a steel-minded African side, who opened the scoring first thanks to Franck Kessié due to some magic from Yan Diomande.
But thanks to a great brace by the substitute Deniz Undav, whose instincts proved to be extremely important, Die Mannschaft made it to the knockout stages for the first time since 2014 – the last time the team won it all.
It must be noted that it also now won its 11th straight match in all competitions.
Here are my takeaways: 1.
Nagelsmann’s Substitutes Paid Off Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, wearing an oversized black tee and looking like he had just came out of an underground art gallery in Williamsburg, made some key decisions in the second half that worked to perfection.
Deniz Undav, who plays for Stuttgart, was the key as he replaced Jamal Musiala in the 60th minute and offered a more direct, poaching threat.
His first goal came thanks to a cross from Nadiem Amiri’s cross, who also came in as a substitute.
Against a strong defensive unit like the Ivory Coast, Nagelsmann knew that eventually, the depth of his squad would offer something different against the tired legs of their opponents, and he was right.
Flowers for Felix Nmecha Undav is having quite the tournament, with five goal contributions in less than an hour’s worth of World Cup action.
But give some kudos to Borussia Dortmund man Felix Nmecha, who was the best player on the pitch today as he controlled the midfield like a young Michael Ballack.
His ability to dribble through pressure and carry the ball is as impressive as his vision.
It was his assist that fed Undav’s late winner.
A fantastic evening from the 25-year-old star midfielder, who scored in the 7-1 drubbing of Curaçao last week.
Despite Loss, Ivory Coast’s Defense Is Strong Despite the loss, I was impressed with Emerse Faé’s tactics and how the Ivory Coast worked without the ball.
Their four-man defensive line was in unison and made it hard for the Germans.
If you didn’t know this already, this team’s metal-like defending is well known, as this national team qualified for the World Cup without losing a single match and conceded zero goals.
It's diappointing that it conceded the late goal, but there is still a lot more to come from Les Elephants as they still have a shot at second place.
The team did get that tough win over Ecuador last week, so there is still all to play for.
Diomande Is The Real Deal It’s absolutely not surprising to me that the 19-year-old star – who plays his club football for RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga – is such a wanted man by many clubs, with Liverpool reportedly leading the race.
It’s also not shocking to hear that Leipzig is demanding more than €100 million for his transfer.
Diomande is a bolt of lightning, and similar to former Anfield star Luis Díaz in the sense that his ability to penetrate forward is so unpredictable.
So again, I can see why Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool wants him so badly.
Against Germany, in the first half, he was so good that Nagelsmann had to move Kimmich to the left fullback role until the break in order to see what he had to do to figure him out.
It was Diomande’s cross that eventually ended with Kessié for the opener.
In the second half, there was less time for him to operate as he now had two players that closed in on him, but once Diallo was substituted, Diomande moved to the right and became more of a threat again.
He was quieter, but there is no doubt this is a star in the making.
What's Next Germany will win the group with a point in the last match against Ecuador on Thursday.
Ivory Coast's next match will be massive as it takes on Curaçao with the hope of sealing a spot in the knockout stages.
Sources: Fox Sports
