Slovakia shock Germany 2-0 in Bratislava, ending the four-time champions’ flawless away record in World Cup qualifiers
An opening-night jolt in Group A
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BRATISLAVA — Germany have survived many lean nights since lifting the World Cup in 2014. But few defeats will sting quite like this. On Thursday, Slovakia beat the four-time champions 2-0 in a taut, disciplined performance that handed Germany their first-ever away loss in a World Cup qualifier and set off fresh alarm bells about a team that has promised to rebuild — but keeps stumbling.
The numbers are stark. Germany, who have openly set the goal of winning the 2026 World Cup, have now lost three straight matches after Nations League defeats to Portugal and France in June. This one, in their opening Group A qualifier, punched through an aura they had long carried in Europe’s preliminaries: Germany did not lose World Cup qualifiers on the road. Until now.
A match that swung on precision and nerve
From the opening whistle, Slovakia were the side with the sharper edges and the loosened shoulders. They seized on Germany’s hesitancy almost immediately — Lubomir Satka’s early chance, then a one-on-one that required Oliver Baumann’s smart save from Leo Sauer in the 21st minute. Each warning felt more like a countdown than a brushback.
It was a turnover that broke Germany’s back. In the 42nd minute, Florian Wirtz lost the ball high, and within seconds Slovakia were streaking away on a quick break, finished with poise by David Hancko. The second half began with a flicker from the visitors — Leon Goretzka drove them forward, and for a few minutes Germany looked like Germany again — but the hosts struck against the grain in the 55th. David Strelec wrong-footed Antonio Rüdiger and curled past Baumann. Slovakia, with a two-goal cushion, defended with a clarity that Germany couldn’t match with ideas or incision.
“Miles away” from where they need to be
Julian Nagelsmann, who has tried to fuse Germany’s technical gifts with a harder running edge, did not tiptoe around the performance. “We did not show any emotionality in our game today,” the coach said afterward. “In terms of emotions the opponents were miles ahead of us. We want to go to the World Cup but today we were miles away from that.”
He went further, hinting that selection might tilt toward players who show fight over finesse. “We picked the best players in Germany,” he said, “but maybe we have to put less importance on quality and more on players who will give it all out there.” For a team that has prized control and technique, those are loaded words — and an unmistakable message to a dressing room now trying to stop a losing skid at three.
Germany’s long shadow and short-term questions
Germany have been chasing themselves for a decade, ever since the confetti fell in Rio. Group-stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were followed by a host’s run at Euro 2024 that ended in a bruising late defeat to Spain. There were sparks of renewal — a younger core with Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and others; a pledge to press with more bite; a tighter defensive line — but the familiar patterns keep creeping back: sterile possession, vulnerability in transition, and too little punch up front when it matters.
What does a historically assured powerhouse do when the certainty fades? In qualifying, the margins are narrower than ever. The expanded 2026 tournament means more tickets, but Europe’s middle tier has grown smarter and braver. If Germany once felt invulnerable on the road, Slovakia’s compact shape and quick first pass under pressure were a reminder that no household name wins games on reputation alone. Not anymore.
Slovakia’s night, and their statement
For Slovakia, this was as much about belief as it was about three points. A sold-out Bratislava crowd rose with every tackle and counter, and the team’s economy of movement — defend narrow, break early, finish clean — felt like a blueprint for punching above weight in this qualifying cycle. Hancko’s opener and Strelec’s curler were moments of quality, yes, but also products of a plan executed with minimal frills and maximal intensity.
There was a sense, too, that Slovakia were playing not just Germany’s XI but the aura of inevitability that has long surrounded them in Europe’s qualifiers. On this night, the aura looked ordinary, and Slovakia looked like a team with a ceiling higher than outsiders usually grant them.
Where the road bends next
Germany return home to host Northern Ireland next, a fixture that suddenly carries more weight than anyone in Nagelsmann’s camp would have imagined a month ago. In a qualifying format where every slip invites noise and pressure, the response becomes the story. Will Nagelsmann double down on his principles or inject more grit, as his comments suggest? Do the veterans take the reins, or does the coach fast-track the hunger he wants into the starting XI?
Slovakia travel to Luxembourg on Sunday — another opponent that, in recent cycles, has turned from afterthought into ambush specialist. In a group already jostled by an upset, points are precious early and momentum can be decisive.
Beyond the scoreline: a warning to Europe’s elites
Zoom out, and Thursday’s result feeds a broader trend in European qualifiers: the gap between the old guard and the rest has narrowed. Tactical literacy is widespread; so is fearlessness. The teams who impose tempo, who turn transitions into chances, who run harder in minute 85 than they did in minute 5 — those are the teams who now bloody noses. Germany still own a rich talent pool and a World Cup tradition most nations would envy. But tradition travels only as far as intensity carries it.
There is time for Germany to steady themselves. There always is this early. But for a side with a stated mission of winning 2026, the clock doesn’t tick in months or matches. It ticks in identity. On a damp night in Bratislava, Slovakia knew exactly who they were. Germany will hope that by Sunday night, they know too.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
Soccer Football – World Cup – UEFA Qualifiers – Group A – Slovakia v Germany – National Football Stadium, Bratislava, Slovakia – September 4, 2025 Germany’s Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and teammates look dejected after the match REUTERS/David W Cerny Purchase Licensing Rights
Four-time world champions Germany suffered their first away loss in a World Cup qualifier after their shock 2-0 defeat by hosts Slovakia in their opening qualifier for the 2026 tournament on Thursday.
The Germans, who have set a goal of winning the 2026 World Cup, had never before lost a World Cup qualifier on the road, and they have now lost their last three consecutive matches, following defeats by Portugal and France in the Nations League in June.
“We did not show any emotionality in our game today. In terms of emotions the opponents were miles ahead of us,” said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. “We want to go to the World Cup but today we were miles away from that.
“I want to see that emotionality. We picked the best players in Germany but maybe we have to put less importance on quality and more on players who will give it all out there.”
The Germans have not made an impact in major international tournaments since last winning the World Cup in 2014.
Nagelsmann’s team were on the backfoot with the Slovaks missing a golden chance in the opening seconds with Lubomir Satka.
Germany goalkeeper Oliver Baumann then denied Leo Sauer in their one-on-one with a superb save in the 21st minute in early warnings that the visitors did not heed.
Slovakia’s offensive play paid off in the 42nd when Germany’s Florian Wirtz lost possession and the hosts launched a quick break with David Hanchko completing it with a fine finish.
Germany, toothless in the first half, looked more aggressive after the break and Leon Goretzka came close. However, Slovakia struck against the run of play, with David Strelec sending defender Antonio Ruediger the wrong way before curling a shot past Baumann in the 55th.
“The first five minutes of the second half were a bit brighter but the rest was pretty grim,” Nagelsmann said.
“I trust my team but they have to understand that simply being a better player than the opponent is not enough if you don’t show willingness and desire. You won’t get results with the handbrake on.”
The Germans, who were eliminated in the first round of the previous two World Cups, were unable to mount a serious comeback, lacking any ideas and punch up front.
Slovakia travel to Luxembourg for their next Group A match on Sunday while Germany host Northern Ireland.
Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Christian Radnedge
