Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade scored a brace as Germany beat Luxembourg 2-0. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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It wasn’t pretty, but Germany has gotten the job done against Luxembourg and can now qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a draw against Slovakia in Leipzig on Monday. Nick Woltemade (49’ & 69’) scored a brace to secure Germany’s 2-0 win in front of over 9,000 spectators at the fully packed Stade de Luxembourg.
“The three points are the most important thing today,” Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann said after the game. “In the end, football is a results sport. But in the first half, we didn't get off to a good start. It took us a long time to get into our rhythm.”
That’s without a doubt true; Germany not only struggled to find a rhythm, but Luxembourg also seemed the more dangerous of the two teams. “Luxembourg had chances and actually should've taken the lead,” Nagelsmann said. “In the second half, we were much better, had more control, scored two goals, and deservedly won the game. We take the 3 points.”
There is truth in that as well. While the first half was poor, Germany took full control in the second half. Indeed, Germany would end the game with 65% possession, seven to one shots on target, and an xG of 1.82 to 0.78.
In fact, there were enough opportunities for Germany to make this less complicated. Wirtz missed a big opportunity in the first half, and then in the second half, Leroy Sané and Felix Nmecha had a chance to make the result more significant for Germany.
“The performance in the first half was not good,” Woltemade said after the game. “There was a lot of back and forth, and we conceded many dangerous situations. The second half was better, we were more precise and got the goals we needed.”
The best thing about Germany's game against Luxembourg was the result (Photo by Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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Not that a more decisive result would have made a difference. “At this point, the most important thing is the three points,” Woltemade said, echoing what Nagelsmann said. “We knew Luxembourg could play football. Everyone admitted at halftime that the first half was not good. We were then significantly better, with more control and more chances. Getting a brace here is very nice, but as long as we get the win, it doesn't matter who scores.”
Where does the result leave Germany? Slovakia beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in the parallel match and now sits even on points with Germany at the top of Group A. But even though Slovakia beat Germany 2-0 to open qualifying, Nagelsmann’s team can go through thanks to the better goal differential.
On paper, Germany should be able to get a draw against Slovakia. But in recent months, Germany under Nagelsmann seems to have made a step backwards. The football has been dull and uninspiring. Too many times, Germany simply goes through the motions, and the enthusiasm and excellent football that were on display following the Euros and in the early stages of the UEFA Nations League are long gone.
After a long season, and the FIFA Club World Cup on top of that, many players will certainly feel the strain. But other nations can say the same thing; indeed, the likes of France, Spain, England, and the Netherlands, which have players playing for top clubs across many competitions, are already qualified.
Furthermore, even without Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, and Nico Schlotterbeck, there is enough quality to see off a team like Luxembourg. The question then is why the likes of Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sané can’t get the job done for Germany. Goretzka, in fact, was lucky that he wasn’t sent off.
Nagelsmann promised a revolution when he took over the national team. The current squad included promising young stars like Assan Ouédraogo (Leipzig) and Saïd El Mala (Köln). There are more up-and-coming stars in the U21 and U19. Perhaps it is time to move on to those players rather than keep rolling out the same old ones.