In the Slovak capital Bratislava, David Hanko opened the scoring for Slovakia in the 42nd minute, followed by David Strelec adding the second goal in the 55th minute.

The German team appeared lackluster in all aspects, struggling heavily in defense and lacking attacking ideas. The captain Joshua Kimmich’s move to the midfield from the right side, seeking more stability, did not yield the desired result.

In another match in the same group, Northern Ireland secured a valuable 3-1 victory away against Luxembourg.

With this result, Northern Ireland tops Group 1 with 3 points, ahead on goal difference of their closest rival Slovakia, who are level on points. Luxembourg and Germany occupy third and fourth places respectively, both with no points.

Germany will face Northern Ireland at home next Sunday in the second round of the group, which also features a match between Luxembourg and Slovakia.

Only the group winner qualifies directly for the World Cup, while the runner-up must compete in the European playoffs to secure a spot in the tournament.