MUNDIAL·26

First Stage · Group E · Sunday, June 14 · Houston Stadium, Houston · 68,021 in the stands

kickoff 12:00 local · 30°C · 83% humidity · roofed stadium

Germany

6′ Felix NMECHA (pen)

38′ Nico SCHLOTTERBECK (pen)

45+5′ Kai HAVERTZ

47′ Jamal MUSIALA (pen)

68′ Nathaniel BROWN (pen)

78′ Deniz UNDAV (pen)

88′ Kai HAVERTZ (pen)

7:1

Curaçao

21′ Livano COMENENCIA (pen)

tap a player for their match file

Germany4-2-3-1
Curaçao4-3-1-2
Manuel NEUER6.3Jonathan TAH6.6Joshua KIMMICH8.2Nico SCHLOTTERBECK8.6Nathaniel BROWN8.6Aleksandar PAVLOVIC6.6Jamal MUSIALA7.8Florian WIRTZ7.5Leroy SANE6.6Felix NMECHA8.7Kai HAVERTZ8.4Eloy ROOM4.2Sherel FLORANUS5.3Armando OBISPO5.8Riechedly BAZOER4.7Deveron FONVILLE5.3Juninho BACUNA7.2Livano COMENENCIA8.3Leandro BACUNA6.1Tahith CHONG6.9Juergen LOCADIA6.4Sontje HANSEN6.8
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′GERCUW

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 6′Nmecha0.06 xG
  • 21′Comenencia0.08 xG
  • 38′Schlotterbeck0.25 xG
  • 45+5′Havertz0.79 xG
  • 47′Musiala0.07 xG
  • 68′Brown0.18 xG
  • 78′Undav0.50 xG
  • 88′Havertz0.18 xG
GER 0:0 CUW0'kickoff
6' Musiala — xG 0.17 · Blocked6' Nmecha — xG 0.06 · Goal7' Musiala — xG 0.04 · Blocked9' Nmecha — xG 0.02 · Missed10' Wirtz — xG 0.04 · Blocked11' Sané — xG 0.10 · Missed12' Nmecha — xG 0.18 · Saved14' Wirtz — xG 0.02 · Missed19' Bacuna — xG 0.02 · Missed21' Comenencia — xG 0.08 · Goal28' Schlotterbeck — xG 0.06 · Saved30' Pavlovic — xG 0.13 · Blocked32' Sané — xG 0.18 · Missed36' Bacuna — xG 0.02 · Missed38' Schlotterbeck — xG 0.25 · Goal45' Brown — xG 0.24 · Blocked45' Pavlovic — xG 0.14 · Blocked45' Havertz — xG 0.03 · Blocked45 + 2' Hansen — xG 0.03 · Saved47' Musiala — xG 0.07 · Goal45 + 5' Havertz — xG 0.79 · Goal50' Nmecha — xG 0.01 · Saved53' Wirtz — xG 0.11 · Blocked54' Havertz — xG 0.02 · Blocked54' Pavlovic — xG 0.13 · Missed62' Bacuna — xG 0.17 · Missed63' Sané — xG 0.55 · Missed67' Comenencia — xG 0.01 · Missed68' Brown — xG 0.18 · Goal75' Chong — xG 0.05 · Missed76' Margaritha — xG 0.04 · Missed78' Undav — xG 0.50 · Goal86' Raum — xG 0.03 · Saved88' Havertz — xG 0.18 · Goal90 + 4' Goretzka — xG 0.08 · Missed

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

GER 0:0 CUW
1.02.03.04.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′6' Nmecha — GOAL21' Comenencia — GOAL38' Schlotterbeck — GOAL47' Musiala — GOAL45 + 5' Havertz — GOAL68' Brown — GOAL78' Undav — GOAL88' Havertz — GOAL4.310.42

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

GER 4-2-3-1 attack →, ← CUW 4-3-1-2 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

1Manuel NEUERManuel NEUER4Jonathan TAHJonathan TAH6Joshua KIMMICHJoshua KIMMICH15Nico SCHLOTTERBECKNico SCHLOTTERBECK18Nathaniel BROWNNathaniel BROWN5Aleksandar PAVLOVICAleksandar PAVLOVIC10Jamal MUSIALAJamal MUSIALA17Florian WIRTZFlorian WIRTZ19Leroy SANELeroy SANE23Felix NMECHAFelix NMECHA7Kai HAVERTZKai HAVERTZ1Eloy ROOMEloy ROOM5Sherel FLORANUSSherel FLORANUS18Armando OBISPOArmando OBISPO23Riechedly BAZOERRiechedly BAZOER24Deveron FONVILLEDeveron FONVILLE7Juninho BACUNAJuninho BACUNA8Livano COMENENCIALivano COMENENCIA10Leandro BACUNALeandro BACUNA21Tahith CHONGTahith CHONG9Juergen LOCADIAJuergen LOCADIA12Sontje HANSENSontje HANSEN

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

58%
Possession
35%
4.17
Expected goals
0.40
71
Threat
29
26
Shots
8
12
On target
2
569
Passes completed
291
46
Forced turnovers
43
11.4s
Ball recovery time
18.1s
8.56
High-press phases
1.98
10
Fouls committed
18
0
Offsides
1
116 km
Distance covered
103 km
33.8 km/h
Top speed
33.3 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. Germany attack →, ← Curaçao attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 6′Felix NMECHA (Germany) scores!!
  2. 21′Livano COMENENCIA (Curaçao) scores!!
  3. 38′Nico SCHLOTTERBECK (Germany) scores!!
  4. 45+5′Penalty Awarded
  5. 45+5′Kai HAVERTZ (Germany) successfully converts the penalty!
  6. ′Before the second half begins Jeremy ANTONISSE (in) comes off the bench to replace Sontje HANSEN (out) (Curaçao)
  7. 47′Jamal MUSIALA (Germany) scores!!
  8. 64′Deniz UNDAV (in) comes off the bench to replace Jamal MUSIALA (out) (Germany)
  9. 65′Jearl MARGARITHA (in) comes off the bench to replace Juergen LOCADIA (out) (Curaçao)
  10. 68′Nathaniel BROWN (Germany) scores!!
  11. 72′Leon GORETZKA (in) comes off the bench to replace Felix NMECHA (out) (Germany)
  12. 72′Antonio RUEDIGER (in) comes off the bench to replace Jonathan TAH (out) (Germany)
  13. 72′David RAUM (in) comes off the bench to replace Nathaniel BROWN (out) (Germany)
  14. 78′Deniz UNDAV (Germany) scores!!
  15. 82′Gervane KASTANEER (in) comes off the bench to replace Tahith CHONG (out) (Curaçao)
  16. 83′Waldemar ANTON (in) comes off the bench to replace Joshua KIMMICH (out) (Germany)
  17. 88′Kai HAVERTZ (Germany) scores!!

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Pressing and Precision: Germany Overwhelms Curaçao 7-1

Germany's dominance was established in minutes. An early goal in the sixth minute set the tone; Curaçao briefly equalized through Livano Comenencia in the 21st, but Germany's 58 per cent possession and eight high-press phases indicated one outcome. The gap in ball recovery—11.4 seconds to Curaçao's 18.1—meant Germany controlled every rebound and transition. By half-time, Germany led 3-1, the shape of the match already determined: territorial suffocation.

Deniz Undav and Felix Nmecha, rated 9.0 and 8.7 respectively, led the assault. Germany's 4.17 expected goals were ruthlessly converted, while Curaçao's 0.4 reflected their surrender. Germany fired 26 shots to eight; only two of Curaçao's reached the target. Four big chances—a missed chance at 63 minutes, a save at 12, a block at 45, another miss at 32—underlined the disparity. The second half finished the job; four more goals made the scoreline a statement of pure dominance.

Germany's expected-goals tally of 4.17 versus Curaçao's 0.4, paired with an 8.6-to-2.0 high-press phase advantage, rendered the 7-1 outcome inevitable.

45+5′

Germany's goal before half-time, with 0.79 expected value, ended Curaçao's resistance.

What Germany needed

Undav's brilliance and aggressive pressing won decisively; the only concern was four missed big chances.

  • Ball recovery speed (11.4 seconds) was nearly seven seconds faster than Curaçao's (18.1), feeding relentless attacking transitions.
  • Eight high-press phases to Curaçao's two overwhelmed their midfield and created 46 forced turnovers.
  • Conversion rate was ruthless: 4.17 xG yielded seven goals (168 per cent), though four big chances were missed or blocked.

What Curaçao needed

A complete mismatch in press intensity and recovery speed meant Curaçao were outrun from the start.

  • Ball recovery took 18.1 seconds—nearly seven seconds slower than Germany—condemning Curaçao to chasing possession rather than controlling it.
  • Only two high-press phases to Germany's eight allowed the hosts to build attacks unmolested; without early pressure, Curaçao invited suffocation.
  • Livano Comenencia's goal (21') provided false hope; with xG of 0.4 versus Germany's 4.17, Curaçao needed a stifling defensive shape.