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Deniz Undav flickered with promise without ever settling in the Premier League.
Eight goals was not a bad return from his 30 appearances for Brighton in 2022/23, but he was gone after one season, returning to Germany where he has excelled since at Stuttgart.
In Toronto, however, the 29-year-old made his case to be a World Cup centre forward, coming off the bench to score two goals with more than a hint of Gerd Muller about them.
Undav, who scored in Germany’s opener against Curacao, had only been on the pitch for eight minutes against the Ivory Coast when he pounced for the equaliser, a neatly controlled left foot volley on the run.
Then, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, he produced the winner with a brilliant touch to control a crisp pass from Felix Nmecha and a precise shot again with his left foot on the spin.
It was his ninth in only his 11th cap. It fired Germany into the last 32. And it will earn him more minutes in Julian Nagelsmann’s team.
Denis Undav scored twice from the bench to help Germany win 2-1 against the Ivory Coast
For long periods until Deniz the Meniz came off the bench it was a now familiar story of Germany looking slick and creating chances but lacking a natural predator.
The absence of natural centre forward defines the way Nagelsmann’s team play. They rely instead on fluency of movement and technical intricacies around the edges of the penalty box.
In Houston, against the naivety of World Cup debutants Curacao, it worked a treat and they feasted on seven goals but the Ivory Coast’s strong and athletic back four sitting deep behind a tight midfield trio featuring a typically impressive display by Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangare occasionally reinforced by the wide forwards Diallo and Diomande when under pressure made it more difficult in Toronto.
Nagelsmann likes to free left back Nathaniel Brown, who plays almost exclusively as a wing back for Eintracht, flexing into a back three and offering licence to raid forward into space created when Florian Wirtz drifts inside to link up punchy passes with Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz.
Havertz was the main goal threat in the first half but Ivory Coast’s back four were prepared to form a deep barrier and encourage the Germans to weave their pretty passing patterns in the congested areas around the fringes of their penalty area.
Undav showed his predatory instincts for Germany by equalising with a low volley on the run
A brilliant first touch and precise finish from Undav earned Germany victory in stoppage time
Germany’s good early momentum was killed by the first half water break. They had dominated early possession and there were early chances. Havertz fired over in the opening seconds and saw a header saved from a cross by captain Kimmich.
Felix Nmecha saw a fizzing effort from 25 yards deflect over before Ivory Coast ‘keeper Yahia Fofana pushed the resulting corner into his own goal under pressure from Aleksandar Pavlovic. It was ruled out correctly. The challenge by Pavlovic barged him in the back as he tried to catch the ball. It was a foul.
But then came the water break and the hard-earned momentum was gone. The game reset and Kessie’s goal came soon after the restart.
Brown might have been relieved to see Yan Diomande start on the left for Ivory Coast. Diomande usually operates on the right for Leipzig and scored four in two Bundesliga games up against Brown’s Eintracht Frankfurt, including a hat trick in a 6-0 win in December.
All eyes are on Diomande. He is a £100million transfer target for Liverpool and appears to be coping nicely with the attention. He was loose in possession at times early in the game and wasted one or two good opportunities on the break.
But he has an electric change of pace and great change of direction, which was central to the goal in the first half. Diomande ripped past Joshua Kimmich and cut the ball low into the centre. Brown made a block to deny Amad Diallo but Franck Kessie converted the rebound.
Germany had a second goal ruled out in the first half. This time Havertz converting but again it was the correct decision after a trip by Musiala on Odilon Kossounou before Havertz found the net. But Ivory Coast grew in confidence after their goal.
The start of the second half was an even and enjoyable contest. Both teams were quicker to move from front to back, with chances at both ends. Havertz who remained a threat headed wide at the back post.
Liverpool target Yan Diomande was wasteful at times but was central to the Ivory Coast's goal
Amad Diallo's shot from Diomande's cross was blocked, but Franck Keisse scored the rebound
The Germany boss can take satisfaction from the impact of his changes. Not only Undav but Nadiem Amiri who provided the cross. Amiri was almost the hero, forcing a fine save from Fofana late in the game as both teams pushed for a winner.
In the end, it came from Undav but Nagelsmann will be concerned by an injury for Nico Schlotterbeck, the Borussia Dortmund defender who twisted an ankle in the first half and did not return for the second, replaced by Antonio Rudiger.
Ivory Coast lost right back Wilfried Singo to a hamstring injury in the second half. Singo’s looked distraught on the bench. Diomande, who was finally suppressed by Germany in the second half also hobbled off looking sore. Ivory Coast will hope it is nothing serious.
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