Germany bring goal blitz into Ivory Coast clash
TDT | Manama
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The top two sides in Group E go head-to-head tonight as Germany face Ivory Coast, with both teams aiming to take a step closer to the knockout stage at the 2026 World Cup. Kick-off is scheduled for 11 PM Bahrain time.
Germany arrive in Toronto full of confidence after producing the biggest win of the tournament so far, a stunning 7–1 victory over Curacao on matchday one. Felix Nmecha gave Die Mannschaft an early lead inside six minutes before Curacao briefly levelled in a historic moment for the tournament debutants.
However, Germany quickly reasserted control in ruthless fashion. Kai Havertz struck twice, while Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav all added their names to the scoresheet in a dominant display under Julian Nagelsmann.
That result reinforced their reputation as one of the most dangerous attacking sides in world football, with only a handful of World Cup matches this century producing seven-goal performances — and Germany responsible for multiple entries on that list.
They now have the chance to secure top spot in Group E early, depending on other results, while extending a remarkable 10-match winning streak across all competitions dating back to September 2025. However, concerns remain at the back, with Germany conceding in four of their last five matches and failing to keep a World Cup clean sheet since the 2014 final.
Ivory Coast, meanwhile, arrive with momentum after grinding out a 1–0 win over Ecuador in their opening match. Despite being under pressure for long spells and seeing Ecuador strike the woodwork three times, they held firm before substitute Amad Diallo delivered a superb 90th-minute winner to seal all three points.
The result extended the ‘Elephants’ impressive World Cup record of winning at least once in every tournament they’ve played, while ending Ecuador’s unbeaten run of nearly two years.
Emerse Fae’s side are now in a strong position to push toward the knockout rounds, needing at least a point from their remaining group games to move closer to qualification history. They also arrive in fine form overall, having won four straight matches across all competitions, including a notable friendly victory over France.
However, their record against European opposition at World Cups remains a concern, with just one win in their last four such encounters.
Germany, by contrast, have historically dominated African opposition on the World Cup stage, losing only once in seven meetings.
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