The German national team secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Ghana in a friendly match. Although it marked their seventh consecutive win, Julian Nagelsmann’s squad showed significant room for improvement just 43 days before the World Cup squad announcement. Deniz Undav, a crowd favorite, scored the decisive goal.
Kai Havertz initially put Germany ahead with a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time, awarded after a handball. Ghana, having previously suffered a 1-5 defeat against Austria, appeared largely harmless for much of the game but managed to equalize through Abdul Fatawu Issahaku. Undav then sealed the win shortly before the final whistle. However, the team still needs to refine its performance to be in top form for the upcoming World Cup.
This international match was the last before Nagelsmann officially announces his World Cup squad on May 12th. Ahead of the World Cup, Germany will play further friendly matches against Finland on May 31st and the USA on June 6th. In the group stage, Germany is set to face Curaçao, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), and Ecuador.
Following a thrilling 4-3 victory over Switzerland, where Florian Wirtz shone, the focus for this match shifted to Germany’s recently inconsistent defense. Nagelsmann emphasized the importance of securing a win and introduced four new players to the starting lineup: goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, left-back Nathaniel Brown, Pascal Groß, and Nick Woltemade.
Germany started with high pressure and created early chances in front of 52,723 spectators in Stuttgart. Woltemade narrowly missed an open shot, and Wirtz’s subsequent free-kick struck the post. Ghana’s defense, led by coach Otto Addo, appeared overwhelmed by Germany’s offensive variations and pressing.
Despite initial dominance and clear superiority, inaccuracies began to creep into Germany’s play as rain set in. Following loud calls from the fans for his inclusion, Nagelsmann brought on Deniz Undav, Lennart Karl, and Antonio Rüdiger at halftime.
After the break, Germany once again started strongly, with Woltemade heading against the crossbar from a Karl cross. However, subsequent substitutions led to some disorganization in the German defense, which Ghana exploited for their equalizer through Issahaku. The German team pushed for a response, and after Karl missed a good opportunity, Undav finally scored the winning goal in the 88th minute, converting a header assist from Leroy Sané.