After an emphatic 7-1 win over Curaçao in Germany’s Group E opener, Les Éléphants demanded significantly more from Julian Nagelsmann’s charges - before a “Wild Boar” tamed them.
Wary of Côte d'Ivoire’s attacking players, whom Antonio Rüdiger dubbed as “express trains” because of their direct running and explosive speed, Joshua Kimmich failed to contain RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande for the opening goal.
Nagelsmann’s side struggled primarily with the sheer physicality of Côte d'Ivoire, led by captain and goalscorer Franck Kessié. With Ibrahim Sangaré, former Bayer Leverkusen player Odilon Kossounou and towering defenders Emmanuel Agbadou and Wilfried Singo, several players nearly 6’3” (1.90m) or more were on the pitch. For the agile but physically outmatched Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, duels against the African participants proved difficult to win.
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