Germany's players hailed their team's character and togetherness after coming from behind to and secure a place in the knockout stages. Deniz Undav's late double completed a dramatic turnaround for Julian Nagelsmann's side, who trailed for much of the second half before finding a way to extend their perfect start in Group E and book a spot in the Round of 32.
The day before the match, coach Nagelsmann said he expected would make life difficult for Germany with their physicality and pace. Just how right he was became apparent over the course of an intense 90 minutes that often left his side under serious pressure.
“We needed an injection of energy and the coach delivered it with his changes,” Manuel Neuer said after the final whistle. Fresh from being named the goalkeeper with in FIFA World Cup™ history, the 40-year-old watched from the back as a triple substitution and tactical reshuffle set Germany on course for victory.
If Nagelsmann's early intervention was also intended to send a message and shake his team out of their slumber, it worked perfectly. “It was a crazy game,” said Nadiem Amiri. “People have always said that we don't have enough character or team spirit but that 90 minutes proved otherwise.”
And Neuer could only echo those sentiments. “I wouldn't say we got lucky, because we earned it,” he said when asked about Undav's stoppage-time goal. “Every one of us put the work in and we truly deserved to win.”
Germany had looked unsettled after the break and for a while it looked as though the Elephants might extend their lead. However, the Ivorians were unable to make the most of some dangerous counter-attacks, giving Nagelsmann time to find a solution for his side.
“It probably wasn’t our best performance, but we were up against a very good side,” midfielder Jamie Leweling said. "It was a last-gasp victory that had raised a few questions along the way, but ultimately provided plenty of positives, not least confirmation of Germany’s progression to the knockout stages.
“We’re going to have other tough games but we know we have players on the bench who can change the course of a match.”
An action-packed last 15 minutes of the match saw the game blown wide open. Germany looked more determined going forward, but this came with added risk and left them vulnerable to dangerous counter-attacks.
“It could have gone either way at the end, that’s true”, said Amiri, who added that he was “immensely proud” of the team, and the vocal fans at . “I don't think the fans realise what that meant to us and the boost we get from it. The atmosphere was incredible. The whole stadium erupted.”
And, of course, he also reserved special praise for the match-winner. “Deniz is incredible. He's a killer in front of goal,” he said of Germany’s two-goal hero. He's really special, and it's a real asset to have someone like him in the squad.”
With his importance to the German side undeniable, the Germans may do well wrapping their star striker in cotton wool before their next game. “I’ve hurt my toe a bit because my foot got stepped on after I scored,” Undav said of the emotional scenes that followed his winner. It also went some way to explaining why his own celebrations had been rather muted.
“I'm actually over the moon,” the Stuttgart forward explained. “I just needed a moment to take it all in. We've picked up another three points and I've scored twice. We've made a great start to the World Cup, and everything feels easier when you're winning.”
“Matches like this bring us closer together,” said Bayern Munich's Aleksandar Pavlovic. "It is through moments like these that we grow together as a team, and that was evident after today's game. The scenes afterwards were incredible, and it was great to celebrate with the fans.”
Following the 0-0 draw between , Germany sit atop Group E ahead of their own clash with Ecuador in New York/New Jersey on Thursday.
Sources: FIFA Official
