Overview

• Slovakia beat Germany 2–0 in Bratislava with goals from David Hancko just before halftime and David Strelec shortly after the restart.
• Debutant Nnamdi Collins was assigned a defensive right‑back and offensive right‑midfield ‘double role,’ struggled against Leo Sauer, and was substituted at halftime.
• Julian Nagelsmann said the selection and role were his responsibility and indicated Collins remains in his plans despite the difficult night.
• Joshua Kimmich publicly backed Collins and criticized Germany’s lack of tempo, reviving debate over whether he should return to right‑back instead of anchoring midfield.
• Germany’s disjointed display and in‑game reshuffle, including moving Maximilian Mittelstädt to right‑back and bringing on David Raum, intensified calls to stabilize the lineup before the next qualifier.