Germany suffered a stunning 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in their opening World Cup qualifier in Bratislava on Thursday, marking their first-ever away loss in the competition’s history.
Despite entering the match as overwhelming favourites, the four-time world champions were undone by a spirited Slovakian side ranked 52nd in the world.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute when David Hancko pounced on a turnover in midfield to fire past the German defence.
Any hopes of a comeback were dashed just 10 minutes into the second half, as David Strelec weaved his way in from the right flank and unleashed a fierce strike that left Antonio Rüdiger rooted to the spot.
Germany, lacking bite in attack and looking fragile at the back, were outplayed from start to finish as Slovakia sealed a historic victory over the European giants.
