The German defensive time bomb — Neuer turns 40. How many more saves can he make?

Where is the biggest hidden risk for the German team in this match? Not the forward line, not the midfield — it’s the defense.

Let’s start with the goalkeeper. Neuer is 40 years old. Although Nagelsmann has clearly positioned him as Germany’s No. 1 goalkeeper for the World Cup, can a 40-year-old body really be the same as at 30? His reaction speed, jumping ability, and timing on coming off his line are all on the decline. Ivory Coast’s forwards are young, fast, and powerful. If they’re able to get one-on-one chances, can Neuer still make the save? That’s truly a huge question mark.

Next, the back line. In Germany’s last 5 matches, they’ve conceded in 4 of them. And at the World Cup level it’s even more exaggerated — there hasn’t been a clean sheet in 7 consecutive World Cup matches. What does that mean? It means Germany has had matches at the World Cup over nearly three editions where they’ve conceded every single game. This isn’t accidental — it’s a structural problem.

Just how terrifying is Ivory Coast’s attacking side? They have Amad Diallo from Manchester United. In the first round, he came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal in stoppage time against Ecuador. They also have Yvan Diedhiou of RB Leipzig. This season in the Bundesliga, he averages 4.3 successful dribbles per match, making him the league’s “dribble king.” This kid plays in the Bundesliga, so he knows the defensive habits of German defenders inside out. When he faces defenders like Schlotterbeck and Jonathan Tah — also from the Bundesliga — the advantage is very clear.

Ivory Coast’s head coach Fai put it plainly: “Our defense is fairly solid and well-organized, and we will do our best to cause Germany trouble in the attacking phase.” In other words, it translates to: I know your defensive line has gaps, and I’m specifically going after that.

So in this match, Germany will very likely concede. This isn’t a curse on Germany — the data and facts are right there. Conceding in 7 straight World Cup matches, and facing Ivory Coast, who have already beaten France — you want a clean sheet? That’s too difficult. For Germany to win, they need to score more goals, using their offense to cover up defensive weaknesses.

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