The German national team struggled to establish a foothold in the match from the outset While the team, under the direction of head coach Julian Nagelsmann, lacked attacking impetus, Slovakia focused on quick transitions and created several promising opportunities Hancko capitalized on a defensive lapse just before halftime to give Slovakia a deserved lead
Nagelsmann responded to the interval with substitutions, but the German side continued to lack creative spark in the second half Strelec extended the lead after a strong individual run, effectively sealing the result Although Germany had occasional chances – Leon Goretzka came closest to scoring shortly after the restart – goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka proved impassable
Despite introducing further attacking players in the closing stages, Germany were unable to break down a resolute Slovakian defence, who secured a historic victory This marked Germany’s first defeat in an away match during World Cup qualification
