Germany won it late and made better use of what it created

Germany beat 2-1 Costa de Marfil at BMO Field and came away from a match that was much tighter than the finish suggests. The difference was in volume: the German side generated for 1.5 and finished with 16 shots and 7 on target, against 1.2 and 9 shots with just 2 on target from the African side.

Tactical read

The game showed a Germany with more territorial control and a stronger presence in the opponent's half. 60% possession to 40% gave their attack continuity, and that dominance translated into a more consistent offensive output than Costa de Marfil's, which, despite having less of the ball, still found moments to hurt them.

The chance-creation data helps make the result clearer: it was not overwhelming superiority, but it was enough of an edge to explain the German win. In shots, the gap was also clear: 16 to 9, with an even bigger difference in shots on target, 7 to 2. That shows Germany not only got forward more often, but also channeled its attacks better into finishing areas.

On the other side, Costa de Marfil stayed competitive despite having less possession and fewer shots. Its early goal backed up a more reactive plan, but the team could not hold onto that lead until the end. The 4-1-4-1 setup also fits that idea of a more compact block and more careful build-up, although the final numbers show it ended up defending more than it could attack.

The standouts

The highest rating went to Deniz Undav, who finished on 8.3 and was the decisive name in the match thanks to his two goals. His impact was direct on the result and also on how the game was read: Germany needed efficiency to turn its greater volume into a win.

• Deniz Undav: 8.3, scorer of Germany's two goals at 68' and 90+4'.
• Youssouf Falikou Fofana: 8.2, best rating for Costa de Marfil in a match where his team competed but came up short in production.
• Felix Nmecha: 7.5, one of the best showings in the German side within a performance that carried more attacking weight.

The turning point came at 68', when Deniz Undav made it 1-1 and completely changed the game's momentum. Up to that point, Costa de Marfil had been defending the lead it got at 30' through Franck Kessié's goal. The equalizer opened the match up and left Germany better positioned to go after it in the closing stretch.

The decisive blow arrived at 90+4', once again through Undav, who sealed the 2-1 and confirmed the gap already suggested by possession, shots and the distribution of chances created. Germany did not run away with it, but it did do more to win.

The ending leaves a pretty clear picture: Germany was more productive with the ball and got its reward late, while Costa de Marfil competed well in several passages but could not protect its lead or make up the difference in attacking volume.