Germany were trailing past the second hydration break, and the doubts were beginning to surface. A place in the Round of 32 — something this squad had taken for granted in the build-up — was suddenly not guaranteed. Then they came from behind. Deniz Undav, sent on as part of a bold triple substitution at the hour mark, equalised within eight minutes of coming on. And then, in the 94th minute, he buried another past Yahia Fofana. Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast.
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Ivory Coast Take the Lead — and Nearly Add to It
For an hour, this was Ivory Coast’s game. The Elephants were organised, aggressive in pressing, and clinical when their moment came.
The 30th-minute goal was a thing of controlled chaos. Nineteen-year-old winger Yan Diomandé burst down the left flank with explosive pace, beating Joshua Kimmich and whipping a dangerous, low cross into the penalty area. Amad Diallo met it near the six-yard box but couldn’t instantly bring it under control — when he finally got his shot off, Nathaniel Brown threw himself into a desperate, lunging block right on the goal line. It wasn’t enough. The rebound fell perfectly for Franck Kessié, who stabbed the loose ball past a helpless Manuel Neuer. The captain had his goal.
Germany, for all their possession and intent, could not find a way through the Ivorian defensive shape. And when Ivory Coast’s chances came in the second half, they were right there to capitalise. In the 52nd minute, Diallo cut inside and drew a diving save from Neuer — but Ange-Yoan Bonny, arriving on the rebound with the goal gaping, rushed his finish and blasted over the bar. Then, in the 82nd minute, Simon Adingra found space deep in the German box, hesitated a fraction too long, and allowed Joshua Kimmich and Jonathan Tah to close him down and clear. Two chances. Two moments when Ivory Coast could have put the game to bed. They did not.
Germany’s First Half: Denied
In the first half, Germany had the ball in the net twice — and had both disallowed. In the 21st minute, Aleksandar Pavlović rose to power a header home from a short corner routine, only for the referee to rule that he had fouled goalkeeper Fofana in the challenge. Then, in the 38th minute, Germany scored again — and again it was taken away, the assistant referee’s flag triggering a VAR review that confirmed an offside call. Twice Germany celebrated. Twice they were pulled back.
It was a first half of mounting frustration.
Nagelsmann Rolls the Dice
At the break, and with the score stuck at 1-0, Julian Nagelsmann acted. At the 60-minute mark, he made three changes simultaneously — Nadiem Amiri, Jamie Leweling, and Deniz Undav all came on. It was a statement of intent. The message was clear: this team was not going to sit and hope.
Eight minutes later, Amiri delivered a precise cross into the box, and Undav met it with a clean volley past Fofana. Germany level. The substitution had worked.
90+4: Undav Has the Last Word
The game looked to be heading for a draw. Then, in the fourth minute of added time, Nmecha picked up possession, saw Undav’s run, and threaded the pass perfectly through the Ivorian defensive lines. Undav’s first touch took it away from the closing defenders. His finish was inevitable. The bench erupted. Germany had done it.
For Ivory Coast, this was a crushing way to lose. They outplayed Germany for long stretches, wasted two gilt-edged chances when it mattered most, and ultimately ran out of time. The margins at this level are ruthless.
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Round of 32 secured
Eliminated in the group stage at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Germany arrived at this tournament with a point to prove. Their opening win over Curaçao had been convincing — confident, controlled, a performance that suggested this was a team with its house in order. Today tested that conviction. Trailing past the second hydration break, with qualification suddenly looking uncertain, they found an answer when it mattered most. That, perhaps, is the more important result of the evening. Not just the three points — but the evidence that this Germany side can dig out a result when things go wrong. The Round of 32 is confirmed. The demons of the last two tournaments can, for now, be set aside.
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