Coach Nagelsmann's faith in Woltemade pays dividends

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann knows his team have much to work on, as Nick Woltemade scored a brace to send his sluggish side past Luxembourg 2-0 on Nov 14 and within touching distance of direct World Cup qualification.

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They struggled against their underdog hosts - ranked 97th in the world - but victory kept them on track to qualify for the 2026 tournament in North America.

"The three points are the most important thing today," Nagelsmann said.

"In the end, football is a results sport. But in the first half, we didn't get off to a good start. It took us a long time to get into our rhythm. Luxembourg had chances, and actually should've taken the lead.

"In the second half, we were much better, had more control, scored two goals and deservedly won the game. We take the three points."

The four-time World Cup winners are level on points in Group A with second-placed Slovakia, who beat Northern Ireland 1-0 at home, but have a better goal difference with one match left to play.