Five Observations from Germany's 6-0 demolition of Slovakia in the World Cup Qualifiers

"Following an extremely underwhelming game against Luxembourg that was salvaged by a fantastic Nick Woltemade performance, Germany faced Slovakia with stakes as high as ever. This would be a bad time to lose, for losing would not only mean having to go into playoffs, but also jeopardise Julian Nagelsmann's seat. That being said, in a do-or-die, Germany rose valiantly, out of seemingly nowhere and at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, delivered one of their best performances in recent times. The result was a 6-0 statement victory."

"A closer look at the game shows that it was a dominating, not a phenomenal performance. The team simply lacks the manpower or the tactics (sorry Nagelsmann) to make the most out of their talents. Slovakia played a low-block, organised and extremely compact. Germany found themselves bypassing Slovakia only via long balls, which often went unutilized because one could simply not figure out what to do when swarmed by a sea of blue shirts. There was, of course, that gorgeous sliding tackle from Joshua Kimmich that perhaps is being framed and hung in someone's living room as we speak."

"To say that Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade won this game for Germany would be an understatement. The first goal from a Wirtz corner at the 18th minute. The corner was received and in a few seconds, Joshua Kimmich made a sharp cross to Woltemade who headed the ball into the net. The way the duo amalgamated their timing and skill so effortlessly genuinely needs to be studied. Shortly afterward, Aleksandar Pavlovic (who did incredibly well in this game), made a pass to Leon Goretzka, who then assisted Serge Gnabry in the second goal."

Germany achieved a commanding 6-0 victory over Slovakia at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, securing qualification and relieving immediate pressure on Julian Nagelsmann. The team initially struggled to break down Slovakia’s organised, compact low-block and relied on long balls with limited effect. Joshua Kimmich provided notable defensive and attacking moments, but the decisive change came from the interplay of Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade, whose timing produced the opener. Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry furthered the scoring. The performance demonstrated dominance but also highlighted persistent tactical and personnel limitations.

Read at Bavarian Football Works