For the first time in history, Germany has lost a World Cup qualification game on the road. Germany was defeated 2-0 by Slovakia in Bratislava on Thursday. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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For the first time in history, Germany has lost a World Cup qualifier away from home. On Thursday, Die Nationalmannschaft was defeated 2-0 by Slovakia in Bratislava thanks to goals by David Hancko (42’) and David Strelec (55’). It was also Germany’s first-ever defeat to Slovakia.
The result also questions the country’s recent resurrection under Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann. Germany, after all, lost both games in the UEFA Nations League finals and has now recorded just one win from the last six games.
Somehow since the 3-3 draw against Italy, Nagelsmann’s Germany has lost its magic. In that game dominated for 45 minutes, leading 3-0 at halftime, only to throw the game away. Then defeats to Portugal (2-1) and France (2-0) in the UEFA Nations League finals followed.
Today’s performance, though, was in many ways the worst of the six. Despite having 70% possession, Germany was slow and sluggish in the final third. Indeed, without Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz, the attack seemed to lack any sort of inspiration.
Things weren’t much better in the back, where Feyenoord winger Leo Sauer had a field day overrunning the left flank over and over again. Nagelsmann’s reaction was to hook debutant Nnamdi Collins at halftime when, in reality, the problem seemed to be the overall setup.
“We lost the ball way too easily, we didn’t have control of the game,” Germany defender Jonathan Tah said. It was a deserved loss and a very bad performance from us today. This is not our ambition and not what we expect of ourselves. We must be honest. It’s tough to explain the reasons now directly after the game. We must do much better immediately in the next game.”
So, where did it go wrong for Germany? Statistically speaking, Germany should have at least walked away with a draw here. The xG was balanced at 1.22 versus 1.46 in Germany’s favor, and Nagelsmann’s team dominated possession and had more control of the ball.
What was lacking was conviction and cleanliness with the ball in the final third. Shoehorned in as a no.10, Leon Goretzka at least tried, but his return to the national team has also coincided with old behaviours dating back to prior to the Euros, in which the Bayern Munich midfielder was left out of the squad.
Germany has struggled ever since the return of Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
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Indeed, fitting in Goretzka isn’t the only odd decision made by Nagelsmann. Serge Gnabry remains a player with more cold rather than hot streaks. Although playing well for Bayern Munich over the last couple of weeks, the forward is a passenger and not the leader this squad needs in the attack.
At least Nagelsmann was honest about his team’s performance of the team. “Apart from two to three injured players, these are the best quality players we have in Germany,” Nagelsmann said to German broadcaster ARD after the game. “Maybe next time we have to call up players with less quality but who will give everything on the pitch.
What then is the solution in Nagelsmann’s mind? “I trust my players, but being simply a better player than the opponent is not enough if you don’t show willingness and desire,” Nagelsmann added. “Why do you think a team like Wiesbaden almost drew 2-2 with FC Bayern? It’s not because they have better quality, but because they showed emotionality and desire.”
Slovakia certainly showed all that today. While Germany’s performance was poor, Slovakia played a fantastic game. Sauer, in particular, stood out. The Feyenoord winger will be a player to watch.
The 19-year-old is also a symbol for what Germany was missing. There wasn’t a single attacker in the team that was willing to take on the Slovak backline with speed and creativity. The only player who tried at times was Wirtz, but the Liverpool forward looked jaded, and without his congenial partner, Jamal Musiala, seemed lost at times.
Indeed, Musiala was missed at every corner. The Bayern Munich playmaker is still out after suffering an injury at the FIFA Club World Cup. His creativity, especially one-on-one, was missing. Another player who left a big hole is Kai Havertz. Although not the most reliable scorer, the Arsenal forward has the ability to create holes in tightly woven defensive lines.
Still, there was enough quality on the field, at least on paper, to win this game. The problem was that this team played smaller than the sum of all its parts. That’s partly on Nagelsmann, who will now have to come up with a solution quickly ahead of what is now a must-win game against Northern Ireland on Sunday.
At least the players know that change is needed. “It’s about attitude,” Kimmich said. “We have to do better in the next game. We have to support each other and make it easier for each other. We know we had a very bad game; every single individual, pointing the finger at each other, won’t get us anywhere. We know today wasn’t enough. We were talking before the game about winning the World Cup, but first we have to qualify. If we play like we did today, then it won’t be easy.”
So, where does Germany go from here in a World Cup qualifying group that also includes Luxembourg and Northern Ireland? “We have five games left, and we have to win them all, including against today’s opponent,” Nagelsmann said. “Otherwise, we’ll be playing in the playoffs in March.” It is up to Nagelsmann to prevent such a scenario.