Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann believes his side must step up their game after they battled to a 2-0 win over minnows Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier on Friday night.
The match which was held at the Stade de Luxembourg produced no goal in the first half, before Nick Woltemade netted twice in the second half to complete the victory.
The Germans headed into the clash on the back of three consecutive wins after bouncing back from their opening defeat to Slovakia.
The hosts, on the other hand, were without a win and needed a remarkable performance to pull off a shock result.
Speaking after the match, former Bayern Munich gaffer Nagelsmann expressed concern over the display of the players.
“We have three points – football is a results business after all – but it was more difficult than we had hoped. The first half was once again quite sluggish. We needed the second half to really get ourselves into the game.
“In the first 45 minutes we were too static, too inflexible, too unmotivated. The commitment was better in the second half”, Nagelsmann said.
Newcastle United forward Nick Woltemade delivered both goals for the Germans to put them on the brink of World Cup qualification.
“We would have deserved to concede a goal. That didn’t happen, and in the end we took our chances and won the game – that’s the most important thing for me”, he continued.
“I’d love to see a statistic showing how many times we played backwards. In the first half, I think we had only one or two balls played properly into the final third. We acted too cautiously and kept involving our goalkeeper Baumann, which in most situations wasn’t even necessary.”
Germany and Slovakia clash at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig next Monday to determine who qualifies as group winners to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
