Overview
- Julian Nagelsmann’s side clinched direct qualification with a 6:0 win over Slovakia in Leipzig, restoring momentum after mixed earlier results.
- Assan Ouédraogo scored less than two minutes into his senior debut, with Nagelsmann praising the 19-year-old’s progress and urging him to stay grounded.
- Oliver Baumann strengthened his case with another clean sheet, but Nagelsmann declined to name a World Cup No. 1 as Marc-André ter Stegen’s return hinges on fitness and club minutes and Neuer talk persists in the media.
- Window standouts included Nick Woltemade, Leroy Sané, Joshua Kimmich and Nico Schlotterbeck, while reports flagged pressure points for Antonio Rüdiger and commentator Stefan Effenberg warned that Karim Adeyemi’s legal issues could derail his trajectory.
- Germany’s U21 beat Georgia 2:0 with 17-year-old Lennart Karl scoring again to keep EM-qualification on track, as Austria under Ralf Rangnick also sealed a World Cup berth.