Germany could hardly have asked for a better start to the 2026 World Cup. The 7–1 victory over Curaçao not only delivered three points but also sent an early message to the rest of the field. With Ivory Coast edging Ecuador 1–0 in the other Group E match, the second round of fixtures already carries significant weight. Germany now faces what is likely to be its toughest group-stage test. Côte d'Ivoire arrived at the tournament with less fanfare than some of the traditional contenders, but the West Africans have built a reputation for being difficult to break down and dangerous in transition. Their opening win over Ecuador underlined exactly that. The result against Curaçao answered a few questions surrounding Germany's attacking setup. The front line looked fluid, chances were created from all areas of the pitch, and several players made strong cases to keep their place in the starting eleven. That said, this is a very different challenge. Space will be harder to find, and Germany's defensive structure will be tested far more frequently. Julian Nagelsmann therefore faces an interesting decision. Does he reward the players who dismantled Curaçao, or does he make subtle adjustments for an opponent with greater athleticism and physical presence? Continuity seems the more likely option, particularly after such an emphatic opening performance. My prediction: Germany will not enjoy the same freedom it found in the first match. Côte d'Ivoire has enough quality to make life uncomfortable and should create moments of its own. Still, Germany's midfield control and attacking depth give them the edge over ninety minutes. The biggest question mark will likely be the right wing-back position, where Kimmich could face a significant pace disadvantage against Côte d'Ivoire winger Diomandé. That said, Kimmich demonstrated in Bayern's Champions League ties against Real Madrid that he is capable of handling elite speedsters like Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior. I expect a competitive game for long stretches before Germany gradually pulls away in the second half. A 3–1 victory feels like the most likely outcome for me. What do you think?
The Curaçao match doesn't matter anymore. Ivory Coast will be a much tougher opponent, as sub-Saharan African teams are known for their sheer physicality, and they've always been hard for Germany to break down. I want to note that since the start of the millenium, every time Germany faced an African team in the group stage of a World Cup they made a deep run, and we all know what happened on the last two World Cups in which Germany didn't face any African teams in the group stage, so maybe being grouped with Ivory Coast is a good omen.
Germany record in 2nd match group stage is 3W, 5D, 1L since 1990, if I counted them correctly. The one loss came against Serbia after Klose got a red card.
This game vs Ivory Coast is the real test for the German. Ivory Coast even beat France, They penetrate on the wings using individual's skills from the like of Diomande or Toure. I am eagar to see how our invert fullback Brown and Kimmich will handle this pressure especially when we push up and there's space behind.
Yeahh it will be way tighter , at least Nmecha and Pavlovic are big athletes and will have to put in a stellar performance in Midfield . Yes our second group games have never been the most successful . Also the game we had against Ghana is a good indication - I am Hoping for a 2-1 although would be great to keep a clean sheet , which Germany has not had in a World Cup game since the 1-0 against Argentina way back in 2014 .
I guess a draw and a hard laboured 1-0 Against Ecuador is also fine . But would love it if germany makes statement on Saturday.
Been AFK for a while, but am super excited for this next match. For one, I think Kimmich versus Diomande is too much of a risk. He can't go the full 90 minutes bombing up and down with the quality of wingers Ivory Coast possess. I imagine there will be some sort of tactical change for this game to cope with that. Our attack can definitely put in great work versus them, but it'll come down to how well we press, defend counters, and avoid 1v1 situations with our fullbacks out wide. I see us scoring a goal in the first half and then bringing on defenders to grind out a 1-0 or a 2-1, depending if they're able to score. I would have the buildup like this:
yeahh so much media around the fast flanks of Ivory coast - but Germany also needs to make sure they set the tone in the match . Yes be aware of the fast guys - so question is ? Brown is fast enough to keep up and Kimmich not - but does that mean we should replace Sane with a better option to support Kimmich in defence? Or should we play our game and see what happens and then react in the match ? Any which way who would be a great substitute to support Kimmich on the Flank that has enough attacking skills but also great defensive skills. ???? Amiri , Ouédraogo, Leweling ??? I know Amiri and Ouédraogo have skills to contribute defensively, but also say - is Ivory Coast so good? , are they better then Germany? Do we have to setup more defensively ? I would say a big NO NO
Odd, fotmob has him on the right wing. I checked the heat map and it showed he was predominately right wing, but he also was on the left wing as well. Looks to be about a 2:1 ratio in favour of right wing. Probably a tactical change made by the coach, something we (actually JN) should be aware of.
Germany have faced African sides 8 times at the World Cup and have come away with 5 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. They've only ever met Ivory Coast in a Friendly back in 2009 (2-2 draw). Only thing i can recall about that game is it was right around the time of Robert Enke's passing.
I read some nonsense that Germany was training for Sane to support the defence in a five back line when Ivory coast is attacking . Just the way it sounds sounds absurd, but in more basic form I guess all it means Sane has to run back to support Kimmich way more then normal. Still say Germany must put their stamp on the match
I've read something similar and let's put it this way: Nagelsmann is pretty much the kind of coach to outsmart himself.
Personally I have a high level of anxiety. As you said, it's our first real test and a lot of matches have had unexpected results. Hopefully we will prevail.