Germany started bad and finished worse in a shocking 2-0 defeat to Slovakia to begin its qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
“At no phase today did we show courage and attitude,” Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich said afterward of his side’s display (captured via @iMiaSanMia). “From the first minute, they had a corner and a chance.
“It’s not about the system, tactics, back three or back four. It’s about attitude. 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.”
Indeed, the Germans never quite appeared at the races in this one — which is not to say the tactics and choices were not questionable, either. It sounds as if the squad knows it is time to point thumbs, and we will find out on Sunday how much of a reaction this team can muster.
The German national team hit the road to face Slovakia, looking to get off on the right foot for this round of World Cup qualifier action.
That did not happen.
Julian Nagelsmann — as he is prone to do — did some experimenting with his lineup and it did not work as the team dropped a 2-0 decision. The players were bad, the coaching was not great, and it was not a banner effort overall.
There is plenty to discuss from this match, so let’s get to it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at the starting XI.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
- Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.
