Germany Suffers Historic Defeat against Slovakia in Euro 2024 Qualifier
COLOGNE, GERMANY – 2024/09/05 - In a stunning upset, Germany fell to Slovakia 2-0 in a Euro 2024 qualifying match held today, marking the first time in the nation’s history that they have been defeated by their central European rivals. the loss throws Germany’s qualification campaign into uncertainty and raises serious questions about their form heading into next summer’s tournament.
This unprecedented defeat comes at a critical juncture for Germany, who are aiming to rebound from a disappointing performance in the 2022 World Cup. The result not only jeopardizes their automatic qualification hopes but also damages national morale and intensifies scrutiny on manager Julian Nagelsmann. The team now faces a crucial match against Northern Ireland on Sunday in Cologne, where a win is paramount to regaining control of their qualifying group.
The match saw Slovakia take the lead just before halftime through a goal from David Hancko, capitalizing on a turnover from Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz. Hancko both initiated and concluded the attacking play. Early in the second half,david strelec extended Slovakia’s advantage with a spectacular individual effort. He controlled a long ball from his goalkeeper, skillfully evaded veteran defender Antonio Rüdiger, and curled a shot into the net.
German publication Kicker reported that Strelec’s performance left Rüdiger looking “stupid.”
Germany will face Northern Ireland in Cologne on 2024/09/08.
