Deniz Undav came off the bench to score twice as Germany came from behind to beat Ivory Coast and secure a place in the round of 32 of the World Cup.
A difficult first half
After a comfortable opening win against Curaçao, Germany faced a much sterner test against an Ivory Coast side featuring players such as Oumar Diomande, Ibrahim Sangaré, Amad Diallo and Franck Kessié.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side struggled from the start. The coach’s plan of using Joshua Kimmich to track Diomande did not work, and defender Nico Schlotterbeck picked up a knock that limited him before he was replaced at half-time.
Germany had more of the ball but created little. Aleksandar Pavlović had a header ruled out for a foul on the Ivorian goalkeeper, Yahia Fofana, shortly before the drinks break. Soon after, Kessié reacted first to a loose ball in the area and beat Manuel Neuer to give Ivory Coast the lead.
The substitutions that changed everything
Nagelsmann responded by bringing on Nadiem Amiri, Undav and Jamie Leweling, and the game changed almost immediately.
Within ten minutes, Amiri delivered a cross from the right and Undav, on the edge of the area, struck a powerful shot past Fofana for the equaliser. The goal transformed the match into an open, end-to-end contest.
Late in the game, Undav struck again, finishing calmly after a precise pass from Felix Nmecha to put Germany ahead for good.
Undav, the super-sub
The two goals took Undav to four in two World Cup appearances — all of them as a substitute. The Stuttgart striker has become one of the stories of Germany’s tournament, offering a direct, physical option that has repeatedly unsettled tired defences.
What it means
The victory secured Germany’s place in the knockout rounds. The performance was far from perfect, and Nagelsmann will be concerned about how hard his team found it to create chances before the changes. But the impact of the bench, and the team’s resilience after going behind, gave reasons for optimism heading into the knockout stage.
