- Germany lost 2-0 to Slovakia in Bratislava, one of their rare defeats in World Cup qualifiers.
- David Hancko scored before half-time after a brilliant solo run.
- David Strelec added a second with a superb strike past Rüdiger.
- Germany’s attack, led by Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade, failed to impress.
- Spain, Belgium, Wales, and Poland also featured in the opening qualifier results.
Germany’s World Cup qualifying campaign started on a sour note after a surprising 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in Bratislava. It was only their fourth loss in World Cup qualifier history.
The hosts took the lead just before the break when David Hancko burst from deep in his own half, combined neatly with David Strelec, and calmly finished past Oliver Baumann.
Slovakia extended their lead early in the second half. Strelec, who had already played a role in the opener, showcased quick feet to beat Antonio Rüdiger before curling a stunning shot into the top corner.
Germany, despite having Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz and Newcastle’s summer signing Nick Woltemade on the pitch, could not mount a serious attacking threat.
Julian Nagelsmann’s men will now hope to bounce back in their next fixture against Northern Ireland on Sunday. Their opponents come into the match with confidence after defeating Luxembourg 3-1 away from home.
Elsewhere, Spain started strongly with a 3-0 victory over Bulgaria, thanks to goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella, and Mikel Merino.
In Group G, Matty Cash rescued a point for Poland with a late goal in a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, who had earlier scored through Denzel Dumfries. Belgium enjoyed a 6-0 demolition of Liechtenstein, while Wales edged Kazakhstan 1-0.
