Germany coach Nagelsmann: A thrashing of Curacao will boost our confidence.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said the 7‑1 victory over World Cup newcomers Curacao on Sunday will boost his team’s confidence as they aim for a fifth title.

After winning the World Cup for the fourth time in 2014, Germany have struggled on football’s biggest stage, failing to reach the knockout phase in the last two tournaments.

“We really need this self‑confidence. I think it grew; it was definitely there but it grew,” Nagelsmann said after the Germans recorded their first opening‑match win at a World Cup since 2014.

While tougher opponents await in Group E—Ecuador and Ivory Coast—Nagelsmann said the intensity shown against Curacao bodes well for the rest of the competition.

“I’m very satisfied with us scoring seven goals and our performance for the most part,” the 38‑year‑old added. “A winning start is always important and we’re glad we managed it. We played with the right intensity. I think we can have a good tournament.”

In Houston, an early German goal by Felix Nmecha was cancelled by a deflected strike from Livano Comenencia. Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (double), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav then scored to seal the win and eliminate the possibility of a historic upset.

Nagelsmann said his side handled the pressure of being overwhelming favourites well. “The team was not nervous,” he said. “When you write it down Curacao had easier conditions, I think we do have high quality, one team has high expectation and the other does not. And that is a bit tricky.”

Germany’s next match is against 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champions Ivory Coast in Toronto on Saturday.

The post Curacao thrashing will boost our confidence – Germany coach Nagelsmann appeared first on Vanguard News.