Germany have weight lifted after knockout stage spot but changes expected

BOSTON, Massachusetts, June 21 : Germany heaved a collective sigh of relief after their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday secured a spot in the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in 12 years, but changes are expected for their last group match against Ecuador.

The four-time champions are already guaranteed to finish in top spot in Group E given their head-to-head with second-placed Ivory Coast in case of a tie on points, and they are waiting to see who they could end up facing in the round of 32 in Boston.

While it is still too early to determine their opponents, it is highly likely that coach Julian Nagelsmann will need to make some changes to his lineup for their last group match.

Striker Deniz Undav, who came on as a substitute against Ivory Coast and scored both goals for their comeback win, has now netted nine times in Germany's last eight matches.

Nagelsmann, who has refused to start Undav for months despite his goal rate, said in March after he had again scored a last-gasp winner in their friendly match against Ghana that the forward would not have been as effective had he played from the start.

Nagelsmann apologised the next day for his comments, which were seen as disrespectful, but he again opted to leave Undav on the bench at the start of both World Cup matches. Undav now has three goals and delivered two assists to lead the scorers' list in the tournament after also netting in Germany's group-opening win over Curacao, and Nagelsmann seems to have run out of arguments.

With Undav expected to start against Ecuador, the question is who he will replace. The obvious choice would be fellow striker Kai Havertz in a direct change.

However, calls for playmaker Jamal Musiala to be benched have grown