Defeated by Slovakia, the Climax of Germany's Passionate Struggle

BRATISLAVA, FRIDAY — Great ambitions but not accompanied by a corresponding passion. That is the condition of Germany, which is still struggling to break free from a negative trend. The team led by Julian Nagelsmann suffered a 0-2 defeat against the host Slovakia in the continuation of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at Tehelne Pole Stadium, Bratislava, on Friday (5/9/2025) early morning WIB. This marks Germany's third consecutive defeat, which is not in line with their goal of winning the World Cup.

"We did not show any emotions in today's match. In terms of emotions, the opponent was far superior to us. We want to qualify for the World Cup, but today we are far from that," said Nagelsmann.

Losing in the opening match of the qualifiers is certainly not a good sign for the "Panzer" team. Previously, Germany suffered defeats against Portugal and France in the UEFA Nations League. From any perspective, this third consecutive loss indicates that there are serious issues within the German team.

Playing with Nagelsmann's signature 4-2-3-1 formation, Germany dominated possession with 70 percent of the ball. However, Slovakia played more skillfully. Despite not having much possession, Slovakia, who tend to play a more direct game, had a superior shot count. Coach Francesco Calzona's team recorded five shots on target compared to Germany's four.

Slovakia thoroughly exploited the right side of the German defense, which was guarded by young defender Nnamdi Collins. The right-back position is usually filled by Joshua Kimmich, who this time was trusted again as a defensive midfielder.

Realizing that the majority of Slovakia's attacks were coming from the right flank, Nagelsmann responded by instructing Sergei Gnabry and Kimmich to overload or actively drop in to help Collins. However, the Slovakians took advantage by quickly moving the ball to the other empty flank. This strategy led to David Hancko's opening goal in the 42nd minute.

Powerless in the first half, Germany appeared more aggressive after the break. However, Slovakia was able to double their lead through a shot by David Strelec from inside the penalty area in the 55th minute. Slovakia's second goal could have been prevented if Antonio Ruediger had managed to close down the shooting space, not allowing Strelec too much freedom to control the ball.

Trailing by two goals, Germany attempted to respond. However, forward Nick Woltemade, who made three shots, did not pose a significant threat to the Slovakia goal. The new Newcastle United striker struggled to create danger due to the layered defense from the Slovakia defenders.

"We had very little control over the game, and that is why we deserved to lose today. This cannot be denied. Our performance today was very, very weak," said German defender, Jonathan Tah.

After the match, Nagelsmann assessed that his team was not inferior in quality to Slovakia. However, the German players played without passion. Nagelsmann noted that this tendency had been evident since the Qatar 2022 World Cup. At that time, Germany failed to advance from the group stage, finishing in third place.

Germany has not been able to perform as they did when they won the World Cup in 2014. In addition to the 2022 edition, they also failed to advance from the group stage in 2018. The defeat in their opening match of the current qualification round is beginning to be perceived as a serious sign that requires immediate attention.

"If we perform like we did today, we definitely will not qualify (for the World Cup). Everyone needs to understand what is at stake," said Kimmich.

In the next match, Germany will host Northern Ireland, which currently leads Group A with a total of three points after defeating Luxembourg in another match. Germany must make the most of the opportunity to play at home to avoid the worst-case scenario, as stated by Kimmich. (AFP)