Duel against Ivorians: What would be a novelty even for DFB star Neuer

Succeeds after that 7-1 win against Curaçao namely the next success, the DFB team would already have secured their ticket for the round of 16. This would finally eliminate the fear of a hat trick of early failure after 2018 and 2022, when they were eliminated in the preliminary round.

You could already plan for the knockout phase – that didn’t happen in Neuer’s World Cup debut in 2010 or in Brazil in 2014, where the DFB team ultimately secured the World Cup title. This only costs veteran Neuer a tired smile: “We just want to look at the next game and hope for the best.” He doesn’t yet have a possible round of 16 duel with France in mind.

Respect for the express trains

For national coaches Julian Nagelsmann and the Germans really start the World Cup with the game against the Ivorians. The compulsory task against World Cup newcomers Curaçao at the start was mastered brilliantly. Now it counts.

Above all, people have respect for the Africans’ fast strikers. Yan Diomande one knows from Leipzig. RB are said to have recently rejected a €100 million offer from Liverpool for the 19-year-old. Before him and before Bazoumana Toure von Hoffenheim also warns DFB defender Antonio Rüdiger: “Those are express trains.”

In order to stop this, Neuer urgently appealed not to neglect the remaining defense. “It will be important to win these duels in the transition moments, especially on the second ball.” Rüdiger fears a similar weakness in the German game. “I assume that we will have a lot of possession of the ball. And that’s exactly where it’s important to position ourselves well,” said Real professional Rüdiger.

Even against Curaçao there was this quarter of an hour in which the DFB team was taken by surprise. “We will make mistakes, that’s completely normal. But if we are well positioned, then we can win the ball higher up and attack directly.”

No heat battle

It’s already clear: the heat will not be a possible excuse for the Germans. In contrast to other World Cup locations, comfortable temperatures of just over 20 degrees have been announced for Toronto. That doesn’t mean the game won’t be hot.