Joshua Kimmich of Germany inspects the pitch before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Ecuador
Germany were handed a sound defeat at the hands of Ecuador in the closing game of group E in the FIFA World Cup. The abysmal performance from the German midfield will not bring Joshua Kimmich from his right-back role back into the middle. Moreover, German coach Julian Nagelsman is not keen on making any changes regardless of the loss.
“So, should (Aleksandar) Pavlović be benched, or what? I think Aleks and Felix (Nmecha) are doing a good job. I can only repeat: Jo (Kimmich) was outstanding at the EUROs as a defender, leading the way in every key metric. I don’t want to leave out either Felix or Pavlo. That’s not my plan,” said Nagelsmann (Sky‘s Patrick Berger as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
A total of 1 defensive contribution, only 6 duels won of 16 contested, dispossessed 15 times and an error leading to a goal. This was horrendous from the pair of Pavlović and Nmecha. The defiant defense of this duo from Nagelsmann is concerning.
The choice of substitution for Nmecha was another shocker. Leon Goretzka was a good option to bolster Germany and handle the Ecuadorian pressure, but Naglesmann’s choice of Angelo Stiller sweetened the deal for the opposition. Against teams that press as tenaciously as Ecuador did, the midfield needs a major upgrade should Die Mannschaft wish to proceed further in the knockouts.
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