Overview
- Nico Schlotterbeck took a knock in the first half, continued playing gingerly for a period, and was withdrawn at halftime with Germany behind 1-0.
- Real Madrid centre-back Antonio Rüdiger replaced Schlotterbeck at the break and was brought on to steady a backline that had been under sustained pressure.
- Germany's attack struggled to create clear chances in the first half, which increased the burden on a defence already being tested by Ivory Coast's probing forwards.
- Schlotterbeck had been building a centre-back partnership with Jonathan Tah for the national team, and his removal disrupts that planned pairing for the rest of the match.
- No official medical update on Schlotterbeck's condition has been released, so the team’s next steps will depend on evaluations and how Rüdiger and Tah handle defensive duties going forward.