Slovakia vs Germany match review, 1:45 a.m. September 5: Show of strength

VHO - Commenting on the match Slovakia vs Germany, 2026 World Cup qualifiers, playing away at the home field of a direct competitor, Nagelsmann and his team are expected to create a show of strength.

Slovakia vs Germany form

German football has yet to regain its former position in major tournaments. For example, most recently in the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League, Die Mannschaft performed excellently in the group stage, leaving the Netherlands far behind to take the top spot in Group A3.

But entering the knockout round, when facing tougher opponents, coach Julian Nagelsmann and his team began to reveal their true colors.

After a narrow 5-4 win over Italy, Germany lost to Portugal (1-2) and France (0-2) in the semi-finals and third-place play-off, despite having the advantage of playing at home. The disappointment put coach Nagelsmann under intense criticism from fans.

The German Football Federation (DBF) has also considered the option of changing the "hot seat". However, as the 2026 World Cup qualifiers are approaching, the 38-year-old coach is still given another chance.

Only by helping Die Mannschaft win a ticket to the biggest football festival on the planet and playing impressively in North America next summer will Nagelsmann's seat become stable.

Turning that goal into reality is not going to be easy. In their last 16 appearances, Germany have kept just five clean sheets, conceding an average of two goals per game in their four appearances since the start of the year. The defence is clearly the area of ​​greatest concern.

While Kimmich and Rudiger are getting old and finding it difficult to maintain their peak form, the other two faces in the back four who are often given starting positions by coach Nagelsmann, Jonathan Tah and David Raum, have yet to build trust.

However, in the qualifying stage, the story may not be as difficult for the German team's backline. After all, the remaining opponents in Group A such as Slovakia, Northern Ireland or Luxembourg have little hope of creating a surprise.

Germany's performance recently has not been really good.

Perhaps, the opponent that coach Nagelsmann and his team must be cautious with is Slovakia. But once they enter the match with the highest concentration, the top spot in the group and the ticket to the biggest football festival on the planet will be difficult to escape from the hands of Kimmich and his teammates.

In the opening match, Germany will have to play away at Slovakia, perhaps the most difficult mission in Group A.

But in all three recent encounters with the Central European team in official tournaments, Die Mannschaft have won all. Notably, the last time they visited Bratislava (Euro 2008 qualifiers), the team currently ranked 9th in FIFA won a resounding 4-1 victory.

With their current form and squad, it will be difficult for Slovakia to change their familiar script. Coach Francesco Calzona and his team have had a rather poor start before embarking on the journey to find a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

In the last two friendly matches, Slovakia lost to Greece (1-4) and Israel (0-1). The experience of Dubravka, Skriniar, Hancko, Duda... is probably not enough to help the home team create a surprise.

Slovakia vs Germany squad information

Slovakia: Lukas Haraslin withdrew due to a groin injury. Denis Vavro, Samuel Kozlovsky and Dominik Javorcek are also yet to return to the field.

Germany: Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Sule, Benjamin Henrichs, Tim Kleindienst and Tom Bischof are all absent through injury.

Expected lineup Slovakia vs Germany

Slovakia: Dubravka; Pekarik, Skriniar, Gyomber, Hancko; Duda, Lobotka, Bero; Schranz, Bozenik, Duris

Germany: Baumann; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Raum; Goretzka, Stiller; Adeyemi, Wirtz, Gnabry; Woltemade

Prediction: 1-3

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/nhan-dinh-tran-dau-slovakia-vs-duc-1h45-ngay-59-thi-uy-suc-manh-165852.html