Overview

• Germany avoided a deepening slump with a 3:1 victory in Cologne days after a 0:2 loss in Bratislava, though the team was booed at halftime for a sluggish first half.
• Super-sub Nadiem Amiri scored the go-ahead goal and drew the free kick that Florian Wirtz converted for 3:1, changing the match’s tempo after coming on.
• Maximilian Beier, added only after Niclas Füllkrug’s late muscular issue, contributed a decisive depth run in the 2:1 sequence, underscoring the impact of Nagelsmann’s changes.
• Julian Nagelsmann criticized jeers with his “hyenas in the bush” remark, called the camp only “50 percent” satisfactory, and emphasized momentum over style for now.
• Defensive lapses persisted, with Antonio Rüdiger under scrutiny, while a 3-5-2 setup showed flashes through Jamie Leweling and David Raum; several injured regulars remain out, with some returns targeted for October and fixtures set vs Luxembourg on October 10 and in Belfast on October 13.