Deniz Undav had been on the pitch for barely half an hour when Germany needed him most. Two goals in the final twenty-six minutes, the second arriving in the fourth minute of stoppage time, turned a match Germany had been losing into three points they will be grateful to have. Ivory Coast, compact and well-organised for large stretches, deserved better than to leave Toronto with nothing.
Franck Kessié had given the Ivorians the lead on the half-hour. It was the kind of goal that justified Emerse Fae's cautious 4-1-4-1 shape: a team content to sit, absorb, and punish. Germany had the lion's share of possession, 60 per cent across the ninety-four minutes, and peppered Yahia Fofana's goal with sixteen attempts, but Fofana was in exceptional form. Five saves across the match kept his side in front long enough to make Germany genuinely anxious.
Julian Nagelsmann's triple substitution on the hour mark was the turning point. Off came Aleksandar Pavlović, Leroy Sané, and Jamal Musiala. On came Antonio Rüdiger, Nadiem Amiri, and Undav. The change shifted Germany's weight forward and introduced fresh legs capable of exploiting the space Ivory Coast's block had been vacating on the counter.
Amiri was the architect of the equaliser, providing the assist for Undav's 68th-minute goal that made it 1-1. The substitute striker had done what the starting eleven, including a misfiring Kai Havertz, could not: find a way through. Germany were level, but Ivory Coast were not broken. They continued to press, and Fofana continued to deny, keeping Germany to seven shots on target in total.
The match looked set for a share of the points. Eight corner kicks had come and gone, the xG models suggested Germany had fashioned enough to win twice over (1.84 to Ivory Coast's 1.23), and yet it had taken one substitute to manage even the equaliser. Then Felix Nmecha, who had run every minute of the match in the double pivot and delivered when it counted, found Undav in stoppage time. The striker finished to make it 2-1. Germany had won a match that, for much of its duration, they looked like dropping.
Nico Schlotterbeck lasted only until half-time, replaced by Rüdiger, which lent the second half a more physical edge at centre-back. Nathaniel Brown was assured at left-back and Joshua Kimmich, as ever, was the steadying presence on the right. Jonathan Tah was solid alongside him. The defensive structure held firm enough; Germany's problem was at the other end, where Ivory Coast's five blocked shots and Fofana's heroics restricted what should have been comfortable territory.
For Ivory Coast, the result is harsh. They had their moment, they protected it for nearly forty minutes, and they were undone by a substitute striker rather than anything the German first eleven produced. Christ Inao Oulaï and Ibrahim Sangaré worked hard in the middle third, and Kessié's goal was a reminder that he remains capable of operating at this level. But Fae's side must beat Germany's likely rivals to stay in contention, with goal difference already a potential issue given that Germany put seven past Curaçao in their opener.
Germany sit top of Group E on goal difference, with Ivory Coast level on three points but considerably behind on goals. Ecuador and Curaçao are below them with nothing. The group remains open, but Germany have the points on the board and, after this evening, a reliable finisher to call from the bench.