Germany secured a dramatic comeback victory over Ivory Coast in their World Cup Group E clash in Toronto on Saturday evening, thanks to a stunning brace from substitute Deniz Undav. The four-time world champions began the match brightly, with Kai Havertz looking sharp up front, but the Elephants posed a persistent threat on the counter. Their efforts paid off after 30 minutes when Yan Diomande whipped in a dangerous cross that allowed Franck Kessie to finish from close range.

Germany found it difficult to respond as Ivory Coast defended with discipline and continued to look menacing on the break through Diomande and Amad Diallo. However, head coach Julian Nagelsmann’s tactical changes after the hour mark proved decisive. In the 68th minute, substitute Nadiem Amiri provided a pinpoint cross for fellow substitute Undav, who volleyed home the equaliser for Germany.

The Elephants had a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead late in the game when Nicolas Pepe teed up Simon Adingra inside the box. Yet, the Sunderland-owned winger hesitated, taking an unnecessary touch instead of shooting first time, and the miss proved costly. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Felix Nmecha threaded a superb pass through the defence for Undav, who finished confidently to secure the win — his third goal in just two World Cup appearances, cementing his reputation as Germany’s ultimate super-sub.

Here are the player ratings from Germany’s thrilling victory in Toronto:

Goalkeeper & Defence

Manuel Neuer (6/10): The veteran keeper remains a divisive selection, but he had little chance of stopping Kessie’s opener.

Joshua Kimmich (5/10): Delivered a fine cross for Havertz early on but struggled to contain Diomande throughout the first half. Improved after the break.

Jonathan Tah (6/10): Supported Kimmich in dealing with Diomande’s pace and looked composed when in possession.

Nico Schlotterbeck (5/10): Continued playing despite rolling his ankle, but his movement and passing were clearly affected. Replaced by Antonio Rudiger at half-time.

Nathaniel Brown (6/10): Unlucky to concede the opener after making an excellent block on Diallo moments earlier. The Manchester United winger troubled him, but Brown held his own overall.

Midfield

Felix Nmecha (8/10): The standout performer in Germany’s midfield during the first half. His energy and ball-winning ability drove the team forward, and he capped his performance with a brilliant assist for the late winner.

Aleksandar Pavlovic (4/10): Thought he had scored early on, but his header was rightly disallowed for a foul on Yahia Fofana. Contributed little overall and was substituted for Amiri midway through the second half.

Attack

Leroy Sane (3/10): Struggled to make any meaningful impact and was largely invisible during his 60 minutes on the pitch.

Jamal Musiala (4/10): The No.10 failed to influence the game and was substituted after an hour following a quiet performance.

Florian Wirtz (6/10): Looked the most creative of Germany’s attacking midfielders, showing good footwork to create openings but lacked a decisive final touch. Stayed on after the substitutions but remains short of a cutting edge.

Kai Havertz (6/10): Tested Fofana with a strong header and had a goal ruled out for a foul on Emmanuel Agbadou. However, with Undav’s form, his starting position is now under threat.

Substitutes & Manager

Antonio Rudiger (6/10): Replaced the injured Schlotterbeck and was solid at the back, though his most memorable moment was an ambitious long-range effort that went well over.

Deniz Undav (7/10): Once again proved his worth as Germany’s super-sub, scoring just eight minutes after coming on with a composed finish.

Nadiem Amiri (7/10): Injected energy into midfield after replacing Pavlovic and made an immediate impact with a superb assist for Undav’s equaliser.

Jamie Leweling (5/10): Entered alongside Undav and Amiri but failed to replicate their influence, often losing possession cheaply.

Leon Goretzka (N/A): Came on for Havertz in the final minutes with little time to make an impression.

Julian Nagelsmann (8/10): His substitutions completely changed the course of the match. With Undav scoring three goals in just 56 minutes of World Cup play and tallying nine goals in 11 appearances for Germany, Nagelsmann now faces a major decision ahead of their final group fixture against Ecuador.