Jamal Musiala’s absence was felt deeply as Germany suffered a humiliating 2-0 loss to Slovakia in their World Cup qualifier. German legend Lothar Matthaus compared the Bayern Munich star’s value to that of Lionel Messi, stating he’s irreplaceable. With Musiala out due to a long-term injury, Germany’s performance against Slovakia raised serious concerns for coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Germany’s World Cup qualifying campaign took a dramatic blow with a surprising 2-0 defeat to Slovakia, marking a seismic moment for the national team. The defeat was even more shocking considering Germany’s star player, Jamal Musiala, was missing due to injury, and the team struggled to cope in his absence.
Musiala, who had been in excellent form for Bayern Munich, is facing several months on the sidelines after suffering a serious leg injury during the Club World Cup. He fractured his fibula and sustained ankle ligament damage in a brutal clash with Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, leaving the 22-year-old requiring surgery. The loss of Musiala has been felt heavily, and even German football legend Lothar Matthaus believes he is irreplaceable.
Matthaus Compares Musiala to Messi
In his post-match analysis, Matthaus made a bold comparison between Musiala and Lionel Messi, suggesting that Germany’s star playmaker is as integral to the team as Messi is to Argentina. Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, Matthaus said, “You can’t replace Musiala one-to-one. Just like Messi, you can’t. Hopefully, he’ll be back soon.”
Matthaus’ praise reflects the enormous void left by Musiala’s absence, as Germany struggled to maintain any fluidity in their game against Slovakia.
Germany’s Disjointed Performance Against Slovakia
Despite having a host of talent at their disposal, Germany were exposed by Slovakia’s aggressive pressing game. The match saw Germany concede early, with Slovakia capitalizing on a sloppy pass from Florian Wirtz. David Hancko surged forward and slotted home the opening goal, while the second goal came from David Strelec, who embarrassed Antonio Rudiger before unleashing a powerful shot past goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
Matthaus was critical of Germany’s lack of organization and poor performance, saying, “The way we played football was appalling. And if we’re honest, the result was very flattering. It could have been 4-0 or 5-0.” He also added that the defeat was especially painful as Germany had never lost a World Cup qualifier away from home until this match.
What’s Next for Germany?
Germany now face the daunting task of rebuilding their confidence after this humiliating defeat. Coach Julian Nagelsmann has plenty to address, with a looming World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland on Sunday. Anything less than a win would deepen the crisis and add more pressure on the national team’s leadership.
As Germany prepares for their next match, the focus will be on how to compensate for Musiala’s absence, which has been starkly highlighted by their loss to Slovakia. For now, Nagelsmann will need to find solutions to plug the gaps and rebuild a team that can perform under pressure.
