The German national football team lost 1-2 to Ecuador in their final World Cup group match, exposing defensive weaknesses. Nico Schlotterbeck is out for the rest of the tournament with an ankle injury. Antonio Rüdiger, originally planned as a substitute, replaced him in the starting lineup.
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann said after the match: “We can’t afford to concede one or two goals every game.” The team failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the three group-stage matches.
Schlotterbeck’s absence disrupted the entire defensive structure. Jonathan Tah delivered his weakest World Cup performance, and Rüdiger, a right-footer, cannot replicate the precise diagonal passes of the injured left-footer.
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
