The German national team wins decisively against Curaçao in their World Cup opener after briefly trailing. The team led by national team coach Julian Nagelsmann wins decisively 7-1. Five FC Bayern players are in the starting lineup—along with a potential new signing. Leon Goretzka comes on as a substitute later in the game. The Bayern stars in the FCBinside individual player ratings.
Manuel Neuer: The first match of the FCB keeper’s fifth World Cup. Neuer can’t be blamed for the goal conceded—the shot was nastily deflected by Kimmich. After that, the veteran only had to make one save on a harmless low shot. Grade: 3.
Joshua Kimmich: Playing as a right-back, he repeatedly slowed down the tempo in the attacking third early on. Several passes from the captain failed to find their mark during this phase. Kimmich unfortunately deflected the ball on the goal conceded. Right at the start of the second half, however, Kimmich set up Musiala’s 4-1 goal with a fine pass into space. Nagelsmann substituted him in the 83rd minute. Overall, a solid performance from Kimmich. Grade: 3.
Jonathan Tah: In his first World Cup match, he wasn’t always as confident as he was last season with Bayern. His opponent, Locadia, made things difficult for Tah in a few situations. The defensive leader didn’t make any mistakes, though, but held back in the attack. He was substituted in the 73rd minute. Grade: 3.
Aleksandar Pavlovic: Two dangerous shots of his were blocked in the first half. Pavlovic consistently contributed well in the attacking third, but his final pass often failed to connect. Still, a solid performance. Grade: C.
Jamal Musiala: He was always committed, but his dribbling got stuck several times in the first half. The second half, however, began with a highlight from Musiala: After a nice assist from Bayern teammate Kimmich, the 23-year-old finished with a well-placed low shot to make it 4-1. Musiala was substituted in the 64th minute. Good game! Grade: 2.
Player to watch:
Nathaniel Brown: His transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt to Bayern is nearing completion. That’s why many Bayern fans will have been keeping a close eye on Brown. His corner set up Schlotterbeck for Germany’s 2-1 goal. In fact, Brown took all the corners from the right with his left foot—a real weapon he could also bring to Bayern. The 22-year-old ran a lot and repeatedly made dangerous runs into the German attack from the left. He was rewarded for that with his goal to make it 5-1. A really strong game from Brown. Grade: B.
Substitutes:
Leon Goretzka (73’ for Nmecha): Was unable to make an impact after coming on. No rating.