Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said Sunday only winning the World Cup can silence the sceptics of his side as they prepare for a last-32 showdown against Paraguay.
Despite progressing as Group E winners with a game to spare after a 7-1 thrashing of Curacao and a late 2-1 win over Ivory Coast, defeat to Ecuador in their last outing has raised further doubts about Germany’s chances of progressing far in the tournament.
Even if they do beat a Paraguay team that finished third in their group on Monday near Boston, Nagelsmann’s men could run in to the might of France in the last 16.
“When you talk about the German national team, it is all about trying to win every game. It is all about winning the game tomorrow,” Naglesmann told his pre-match press conference on Sunday.
“To deal with expectations is just to have a good self-confidence, just to have a good plan, try to give the players a good plan so that they can feel comfortable on the pitch, have the capability to do the right things on the pitch, show what good players they are and just win the game.
“It is all about winning in soccer. If you win, everything is perfect. If you lose, everything is shit. So we have to win tomorrow.”
The former Bayern Munich coach said his team had committed “tactical suicide” in their defeat by Ecuador despite taking an early lead.
Unlike some other managers who took the opportunity to rest a number of key players for their last group match with qualification assured, Nagelsmann named almost a full-strength side for that game but is confident there will be no hangover.
“We need a perfect performance tomorrow,” he added, “When I looked at the training session, I can tell you that I’m very happy and the boys, they will bring their A-game tomorrow.”
Havertz ‘comfortable’ on big stage
Despite Deniz Undav’s impact off the bench with three goals and two asissts in the opening two games, Kai Havertz is set to keep his place up front.
The Arsenal forward is looking forward to his first taste of knockout football at the World Cup after Germany bowed out in the group stage in the last two tournaments.
“I think in general I just like bigger occasions. I do not know why. I just feel comfortable,” said Havertz, who has scored in two Champions League finals, one with the Gunners and one with Chelsea.
“I just hope I can continue that streak on the biggest stage, the World Cup.”
Havertz scored twice in the hammering of tiny Curacao. But the German attack that shone on home soil at Euro 2024, with Havertz alongside Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, is yet to click at the World Cup.
Havertz and Musiala both had injury-disrupted seasons, while Wirtz struggled to adapt to the Premier League in his first campaign after a £100 million ($132 million) move to Liverpool.
“We are very close. Obviously, we talk about what we could improve and what we could tweak. We really want to draw on our full potential and we three know that,” Havertz added on his relationship with Wirtz and Musiala.
“Going into tomorrow’s match, we are fully convinced that we can win. I think that the three of us have already played football in a very big stage and we trust in our capabilities.”