Germany’s 7-1 is just bullying weaker teams—Côte d’Ivoire is the real test

Brothers, Germany thrashed Curaçao 7-1 in the first round, and the whole internet is blowing up about “Germany’s war machine is back.” But let me tell you the truth— the value of a 7-1 is really not that high. What level of team is Curaçao? Outside the top 80 in the world rankings, playing in their first World Cup, with the total value of the entire squad adding up to less than a fraction of Germany’s. If you let Bayern Munich go play a German third-division team, they could win 7 or 8 times.

But Côte d’Ivoire is completely different.

This team is ranked 33rd in FIFA, and their squad is worth €522 million in total—one of the most expensive lineups in Africa. In the first round, they stunned Ecuador 1-0, ending the opponent’s 19-match unbeaten run that had lasted nearly two years. Even more terrifying: in the warm-up match before the World Cup, they beat France 2-1 away. What level is France? They’re among the top three favorites to win the title. For Côte d’Ivoire to win against France shows they’re not afraid of Europe’s top teams at all.

What about Germany, though? In the last 5 matches, 4 of them saw them concede, for a total of 6 goals conceded. In all of their last 7 World Cup matches, they conceded at least once—this is the longest consecutive streak of conceding since 1970. Neuer is 40 years old; his reaction speed and the timing of his forays are definitely down from his peak. The center-back pairing of N’Dicka and Schlotterbeck may be decent, but when facing Côte d’Ivoire’s fast, technically gifted forwards, the space behind them can be exploited all too easily.

Before the match, Côte d’Ivoire’s head coach Faiçé said something very tough: “We didn’t come here to watch Germany play— we came to beat them.” This isn’t just talk; they really have the confidence to say that.

So, in this match, it absolutely won’t be Germany crushing them unilaterally. Côte d’Ivoire’s defensive counterattacks are extremely threatening. Once Germany’s back line pushes too far up, they could be broken through by counterattacks at any moment. I think Germany will win, but the process definitely won’t be easy, and the score won’t be too big. A 2-1 or 1-0 is a more reasonable script.

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