Germany stared elimination in the face. Trailing 1-0 to Ivory Coast in Toronto, Julian Nagelsmann turned to his bench – and Deniz Undav delivered a second-half double that not only flipped the scoreline but punched Germany’s ticket to the knockout stages.
Ivory Coast had taken the lead through Franck Kessie, leaving the four-time champions needing a response. Nagelsmann’s proactive substitution paid off instantly as Undav, on as a substitute, slammed home the equaliser. The stadium barely had time to settle before Undav struck again, a last-minute winner that sent the German bench into delirium and sealed a 2-1 victory.
“Deniz Undav scored twice off the bench to turn a deficit into victory, sending Germany into the World Cup knockout stages.”
The win guaranteed Germany’s place in the round of 32, a result that came after a day of high drama across the tournament. The Netherlands had earlier thrashed Sweden 5-1, with Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo both netting braces and Manchester United target Crysencio Summerville adding gloss. Curacao made history by holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw, securing their first ever World Cup point. Japan, meanwhile, raced into a 2-0 lead against Tunisia inside 30 minutes, eventually winning 4-0.
Gary Lineker, part of ITV’s coverage for the Germany game, appeared to fire a subtle dig at the BBC during the broadcast. On the pitch, Liverpool transfer target Yan Diomande struggled to make an impact for Ivory Coast.
For Germany, the escape act in Toronto keeps their World Cup dream alive – and Undav has written himself into the story.