Germany edge Luxembourg to keep 2026 World Cup dream alive, but not with fireworks

Match recap

The German national team moved a step closer to securing a direct ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 win away to Luxembourg on Friday night, the fifth round of European Qualifiers for Group A. The performance may have lacked sparkle, but the result left Die Mannschaft well-placed ahead of the final round.

Germany, four-time world champions, owed the victory to a young striker Nick Volltimade of Newcastle United, who struck twice in the 49th and 69th minutes, lifting Germany to 12 points at the top of the group and keeping them ahead on goal difference from Slovakia, who earned a late 1-0 win against Ireland.

With this result, Germany only need a draw in their final match against Slovakia to book direct qualification; a defeat at the Red Bull Arena on Monday could hand Slovakia the chance to advance and push Germany into the playoff.

The first leg in Slovakia had ended 2-0 to Slovakia, so Nagelsmann's men cannot afford to take the opposition lightly.

Germany also had to cope without key figures, including captain Joshua Kimmich due to an ankle injury, defender Nico Schlotterbeck, midfielder Nadiem Amiri, and striker Akim Ademi who was suspended. They join a growing list of absentees that has left the coach with constrained options.

Beyond these absences, the lineup tried to impose control. Florian Wirtz came close early on after a clever pass from Leon Goretzka, but the Luxembourg goalkeeper Bauman produced a sharp save to keep the clean sheet intact for the moment.

Luxembourg, snuffing out a four-match losing streak, showed surprising attacking intent and almost took the lead through Danel Sinani, who shot narrowly wide after a precise feed at around the 12th minute. Aymen Dardari followed with a number of cheeky touches and a powerful strike that nearly found the net (18), while Sinani tested the German defense again (21).

Germany pressed to steady the tempo, with Serge Gnabry testing the Luxembourg keeper, and a well-placed free kick from Sinani was repelled by Bauman (31). The breakthrough finally arrived in the second half when Leroy Sane delivered a precise cross from the right and Volltimade finished at the far post (49).

Luxembourg answered quickly with more aggression, as Dardari blasted narrowly wide in another dangerous moment (51), but Volltimade doubled the lead after a neat layoff from Ridle Baku, finding the bottom corner (69). In the closing stages, Sane came close to a third, his strike hitting the woodwork (78), and Germany comfortably saw out the victory.

The result leaves Germany on course for direct World Cup qualification, though a tough test against Slovakia awaits. With a slew of stars missing in the buildup, fans will hope Nagelsmann can assemble a more polished performance before the finals in 2026, when Germany aim to reestablish themselves among the world’s elite.

Punchline 1: If Germany keeps this up, their attack will be so stealthy that even the scoreboard might need a stealth mode to notice the goals.

Punchline 2: And if the last game showed anything, the only thing more predictable than a German win is the coach’s post-match hair flip.