Overview

• Germany lost 0:2 to Slovakia in Bratislava, marking the men’s team’s first away defeat in a World Cup qualifier and a third straight competitive loss.
• Julian Nagelsmann said Slovakia were superior in all areas, lamented a lack of emotional intensity, and suggested selecting players who “throw everything in” over higher‑profile options.
• His new flexible setup oscillating between a back four and back three failed to bring stability, with defensive transitions breaking down and Joshua Kimmich’s shifting role drawing scrutiny.
• Captain Kimmich warned qualification will be “very difficult” without an immediate response, Rudi Völler cautioned against a “bitter awakening,” and Germany host Northern Ireland on Sunday after NI’s 3:1 win in Luxembourg.
• Separately in Essen, police detained a suspected 17‑year‑old after a stabbing at a vocational college that left a teacher hospitalized without acute life‑threatening danger, with officers using a firearm during the arrest.