Overview
- Germany secured qualification in Leipzig with a dominant win that followed uneven earlier performances in the campaign.
- Kimmich passed a morning load test to play, described it as a pain management decision, and drew praise from coach Julian Nagelsmann for his commitment.
- Nick Woltemade opened the scoring with a header from Kimmich’s cross, and later highlighted the captain’s regular personal messages after his club goals.
- Commentary welcomed the statement victory but cautioned that Slovakia is not a reliable benchmark, with significant preparation still required before the 5 December group draw.
- Reporting underscored the team’s growing reliance on younger players and a culturally diverse core as injuries to regulars such as Antonio Rüdiger and Kai Havertz are monitored.