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1 hour ago
6
Key events
60 mins: Germany have a corner on the left, which is taken sharply and leads to another corner. Kimmich decides to swing the second one in but Fofana comes out and takes a clean catch. Havertz is on the deck pretending he’s been fouled … he has not.
Sane, Musiala and Pavlovic off. Leweling, Undav and Amiri on.
58 mins: Germany need to get hold of the ball more and calm things down. What they do not need is Rudiger shooting from 35 yards but it is inevitably going a mile over.
Nagelsmann is plotting a triple change, much to the surprise of no one.
56 mins: Germany are being overrun here and cannot stop the swathes of attacks from the Ivorians. The latest ends with Diomande volleying wide.
Khrishnamoorthy emails: “Being fed on a regular diet of Premier League football where a half time score of 1-0 means sit deep and grind out a 1 - 0 win (trademark Arsenal) it is refreshing to see the energy of Ivory Coast who are playing as if they are the one who is down one goal.”
54 mins: Sane pings a cross to Wirtz, whose touch gets the ball into Havertz’s path but his touch is a poor one and Fofana collects.
Kessie then gets another chance thanks to fine work from Diallo but it’s a bad touch and Nmecha nips in.
52 mins: Germany look unable to cope with the pace and power Cote d’Ivoire are showing in midfield.
51 mins: Kessie drags the Ivorians up the pitch and exchanges a pass with Diallo but the captain’s first touch is not great and Tah is on him, making the shot almost redundant.
Something similar happens soon after between Oulai and Diallo but the formers shot from inside the box is always rising.
49 mins: A promising move from Germany sees Brown drive towards the box before slipping Musiala in. The Bayern man cuts inside and shoots but it is deflected wide.
Rodri emails: “The commentator in Uruguayan TV placed part of the blame for the goal on Nagelsmann, arguing that he made Germany play for too long with “ten and a half men” by not substituting Schlotterbeck.”
47 mins: Half the pitch is covered in shade. Down the shadowy right-hand side, Diallo bursts forward but his pass inside is imprecise and cleared.
Almost chaos at the back for Germany as Tah jabs a backpass to Neuer who just about clears a split second before an orange shirt chases him down.
Second half
Here we go again!
Rudiger is on for Schlotterbeck.
Rocco Columbus emails: “You can complain about hydration breaks, or you can complain about the extreme heat like the Guardian just did yesterday (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/19/world-cup-matches-severe-heat-level-analysis), but you can’t complain about both.”
No, you can do both. Of course they are sensible in extreme heat, not when it is 22C. That’s just pleasant weather.
Half-time reading.
Half time: Germany 0-1 Cote d'Ivoire
It’s been an even and entertaining opening 45 minutes but the African side have the edge thanks to a clinical finish from Kessie. This game is a long way from over.
45+4 mins: It does feel like if Germany are to get back into this that Nmecha will be very important. He is a silky player.
Musiala goes down in the vicinity of the box after a Diallo challenge. The referee gives nothing and rightly so.
Down the other end, Bonny outmuscles Schlotterbeck but the defender does well to get back at him and gives away a corner.
45+2 mins: Germany take a short corner without an end plan. Kimmich belatedly chips the ball into the box but it is easily cleared. There is a bit more shadow play after that but no threat.
Richard says: “It’s not a hydration break.
Call it what it is.
Time waster break - in which everyone should get a yellow card.
Tactical up date break.
Momentum break.
Advert break.
It’s 20 degrees down here in New Zealand and I don’t yet need rehydrating. We never had them at Wigan.
The various new rules have improved the game, but this contrived break defffo doesn’t.
45 mins: Seven minutes added on.
Kári Tulinius writes: “I’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen that Côte d’Ivoire are being underestimated and could go deep. But I might be hoisted by my own petard, because if they win their group they’ll be on a collision course with France in the round of 16. Even I, at my most hopeful on the Elephants behalf, don’t expect them to beat this French side.”
43 mins: A Germany corner creates chaos in the box with some erratic pinballing before it is cleared.
41 mins: Kimmich chips a free-kick into the box, it bounces down but Cote d’Ivoire win the second ball and punt clear.
Wirtz then gets a fine chance just inside the box but his first touch is poor and his shot is deflected wide.
39 mins: NO GOAL! The referee witnesses Musiala trip Kossounou on the edge of the box, before the ball runs free and eventually Havertz slams home. The whistle is then blown and the goal ruled out. VAR checks but there is no reason to overturn it.
38 mins: The clouds ensure the pitch is covered in shade now. I wouldn’t bother with the second hydration break later, lads.
Germany are knocking the ball around but struggling to break through the aggressive press. Cote d’Ivoire win the ball back on the halfway and move forward at speed, culminating with a tame Bonny shot.
36 mins: To sum up the current malaise Germany find themselves in, Schlotterbeck has just pinged a 60-yard pass straight out for a goal kick. There was no one in white within an acre of where the ball landed. Better luck next time, mate.
34 mins: The goal has, understandably, given Cote d’Ivoire a lift. They are looking slicker and more confident.
FB gets in touch: “A few observations from this Irish viewer from my couch on the Lower East Side:
- these second group games have been characterised by far more dribbling and taking defenders on than the cagey triangular passing in the opening fixtures for each team
- you could nearly set your watch by the first water break and a keeper injury (or “injury”) — there seems to be an unwillingness for refs to deal with it and I’ve seen the water whistle blown more than once in games to paper over awkward decision-making
- I see Côte d’Ivoire nicking one here but not sure if they’ll be able to hold off a predictable German onslaught — the Germans look very good, don’t they?
Oops! I wrote that (#3) seconds ago. Let’s see if it comes true. Allez Les Éléphants!!
32 mins: German need to adapt and potential help out Kimmich at right-back.
GOAL! Diomande does superbly well on the left and flashes a cross into the six-yard box. Diallo should score but Brown does well to block his point blank shot, only for the rebound to fall to Kessie, who forces the ball home.
GOAL! Germany 0-1 Cote d'Ivoire (Kessie, 30)
The captain squeezes the ball home from close range.
29 mins: Rudiger is getting some instructions from Nagelsmann. One must assume he is coming on for Schlotterbeck.
28 mins: I criticise the hydration break but it did give me time to unplug the car.
25 mins: HYDRATION BREAK! It is 22C after all. Attendees rightly boo.
Speaking of water breaks … you have three minutes to read this.
22 mins: NO GOAL! The resulting corner is sent to the back post where Pavlovic challenges the goalkeeper. The German beats Fofana to it, nodding home but the referee rules it out. I would argue it as a bit soft but the goalkeeper always gets those.
21 mins: Germany are ramping things up, passing the ball with greater pace and smoothness to cause the Ivorians problems. Nmecha takes a punt from 25 yards which is deflected over, rippling the roof of the net.
20 mins: A slick German move ends with Brown overhitting a through ball for Havertz, allowing Fofana to come and collect.
18 mins: Brown drives down the left, he looks up and slides the ball to the edge of the box but the pass is not perfect and is intercepted.
Moments later Musiala receives the ball 20 yards from goal, he gets it out of his feet and takes aim for the bottom corner but the shot flashes inches wide.
16 mins: Schlotterbeck gets back up and wanders off for further treatment on his ankle. After his enforced one-minute absence, he is back with us.
14 mins: Diomande has a great chance to drive into the box on the left but takes a bad touch and runs the ball out of play.
Schlotterbeck’s race is run. He is sat down and awaiting a replacement.
