Germany suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in Bratislava on Thursday, their first-ever away loss in World Cup qualifying.
Ranked 52nd in the world, Slovakia outplayed the four-time champions, with David Hancko breaking the deadlock three minutes before half-time after dispossessing Florian Wirtz in midfield. The defender exchanged passes with David Strelec before firing past Oliver Baumann.
Strelec doubled the lead 10 minutes after the restart, cutting inside from the right and rifling beyond Antonio Rüdiger to cap a dominant display by the hosts.
Germany, missing several key attackers including Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala and Tim Kleindienst, looked blunt in attack and disorganised in defence. Their best chance fell to Leon Goretzka early in the second half, but his tame effort was saved by Martin Dúbravka.
The defeat is just Germany’s fourth in World Cup qualifying history, following losses to Portugal in 1985, England in 2001 and North Macedonia in 2021.
It also heaps pressure on coach Julian Nagelsmann, who had spoken confidently before the match of his “healthy desire to win the World Cup.” His side dominated possession but rarely threatened, while Slovakia repeatedly exploited space behind Germany’s back line through 17-year-old Leo Sauer’s direct running.
Germany, who have crashed out at the group stage of the past two World Cups, will need a swift response when they host Northern Ireland in Cologne on Sunday.
For Slovakia, it was a famous victory — their first ever over Germany in a competitive match — and one that places them firmly in contention in Group C.
