Undav Scores Twice in 2-1 Germany Win, Earning Start Talk After Reaching Knockouts

Q: Will starting Deniz Undav break the super-sub magic that just saved Germany's World Cup campaign?

Probably not — but it would change the kind of value Undav gives Germany. The evidence says Deniz Undav is not just a lucky late-game specialist. He has three goals and two assists in two World Cup substitute appearances, and his broader form is even stronger: nine goals in his last eight Germany matches. In his last start for Germany, against Finland, he scored twice and set up another. That suggests he can produce from kickoff, not only against tired defenses. The real risk is tactical, not mystical. Nagelsmann has openly wondered whether Undav’s sharpest moments come partly from freshness. Against Ivory Coast, Germany struggled for an hour, then changed shape and introduced him into a more open game. His impact was amplified by timing, space and tired opponents. Starting him against Ecuador, one of the group’s stronger defensive teams, would test a different side of his game over 90 minutes. Still, Germany’s bigger problem has been finishing chances, and Undav is currently their most clinical forward. If Nagelsmann wants to reward form and improve Germany’s cutting edge from the start, there is a strong case to begin with him. If he wants a proven match-winner off the bench, there is an equally strong case to hold him back. So starting Undav would not automatically “break the magic.” It would simply trade one weapon — late-game shock value — for another: Germany’s hottest scorer from the opening whistle.

3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 21

Two late goals from Deniz Undav lifted Germany to a 2-1 comeback win over Ivory Coast in Toronto, sealing the four-time champions' first World Cup knockout berth since 2014.
Julian Nagelsmann said Undav could start the next match after the striker again delivered off the bench, though the coach signaled caution about changing a role that is producing goals.
Nine goals in his last eight Germany matches have strengthened Undav's case, and he also became the first German since Miroslav Klose in 2002 to score in each of his first two World Cup games.
Germany close Group E against Ecuador, while Ivory Coast must regroup against Curacao.