The German national team also won its second game at the 2026 World Cup on Saturday. This time, they secured a victory against Ivory Coast. However, a Bayern star didn’t look his best on the goal they conceded.
It was already clear beforehand what would be crucial: The German team had to try to stop the Ivorians’ strong and fast wingers. Of course, a lot depended on Joshua Kimmich. The Bayern star, who plays right back for the national team, had to go head-to-head with Yan Diomande.
The key point, however, is that Kimmich likes to drift into the center in order to have more influence on the game. And that’s exactly what leaves the right side of the defense open at times.
On the goal that made it 0–1, he was outrun, allowing Diomande to pass into the middle. This was also because Kimmich’s coordination with Nmecha, who was rushing in to help, wasn’t quite right in that situation.
Müller’s Criticism of Kimmich
Former Bayern star Thomas Müller, who is covering this tournament as an expert for Magenta TV, was critical of Kimmich’s play on the goal.
“When we face fast wingers, we need to use that double coverage differently. Nene Brown kept signaling this with his body language. He handled it a bit better with Flo Wirtz on the left side. Jo got beaten, but then he has to close down the long line when the second man is there. And he also needs to be more aggressive going into the tackle,” Müller explained.
National team coach Julian Nagelsmann later explained: “We simply have to defend earlier. We’re actually doing a great job. We really only have one side to defend. Unfortunately, we’re attacking a bit too late. And then it gets tough once he gets going.”
In any case, the Kimmich issue is one that could still become a decisive factor for the national team coach in this tournament. Better solutions need to be found here.