Match Awards from Germany’s tight win over Ghana

Stuttgart – A late strike from VfB Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav lifted Germany to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ghana at the MHPArena on Saturday, handing Julian Nagelsmann’s side a timely dose of momentum four months before the FIFA World Cup kicks off.

The win was anything but comfortable. Ghana, stung by a heavy loss to Austria last time out, arrived under interim coach Otto Addo with a point to prove and very nearly left with one. A compact five-man back line, anchored by tireless Spartak Moscow defender Alexander Djiku, frustrated Germany for long stretches and sprang forward on the break with pace that forced the hosts into last-ditch defending.

Djiku finished the 90 minutes with a match-high tally of blocks, tackles, clearances, recoveries and interceptions, embodying a Black Stars rearguard that looked reborn after its mid-week collapse. Addo’s tactical recalibration limited Germany to half-chances until the final quarter-hour, when fresh legs and a flash of individual quality finally broke the deadlock.

Germany’s defensive reshuffle—Jonathan Tah, Josha Vagnoman and others were unavailable—saw Joshua Kimmich invert into midfield and left Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck to marshal a high back line against Ghana’s rapid counters. The 24-year-old answered the brief, registering the most progressive passes of any starter while neutralizing the visitors’ speed in behind. His composure on the ball under repeated transition threats earned him the night’s top defensive plaudit.

In attack, Bayern Munich’s 19-year-old prodigy Karl (Maximilian Karl) continued his ascent, impressing over 45 minutes of high-tempo football. Despite one glaring miss, his movement between the lines and willingness to carry the ball vertically kept Ghana honest and provided a platform for Germany’s more experienced creators.

The creative mantle itself belonged, once again, to Florian Wirtz. Fresh off a master-class against Switzerland, the Leverkusen playmaker rattled the frame inside ten minutes and spent the remainder of the evening threading passes through the narrowest of channels. His ability to manipulate possession in tight pockets eventually stretched Ghana’s low block, opening the space that would decide the match.

That space was seized by Undav. Introduced in the 78th minute, the Stuttgart striker offered a different profile to the roaming forwards who had started. Stationed between the center-backs, he ghosted into the pocket at the edge of the six-yard box to meet a low cut-back and steered an 88th-minute winner inside the far post. The goal, scored in front of his home crowd, could yet prove symbolic: with Niklas Füllkrug injured and Kai Havertz starved of service against a deep defense, Undav’s cold-blooded finish underlined his claim to lead the line when Germany opens its World Cup campaign this summer.

The result extends Germany’s winning run to three matches, but the post-game narrative focused as much on the scare as on the score-line. “We know we still have work to do,” Nagelsmann told reporters. “Tonight showed us where we can be hurt—and who can step up when it matters.”

For Ghana, the performance restored belief after the Austrian debacle. Addo praised his side’s “discipline and bravery,” hinting that the tactical blueprint on display in Stuttgart could resurface in future qualifiers.

Germany now turns its attention to a final pre-World Cup camp in June, while Ghana heads south to regroup ahead of upcoming continental assignments. Based on Saturday’s evidence, both sides will bring sharper identities—and a handful of newly anointed match-winners—into their next tests.