Germany captain Joshua Kimmich has said that the real tests are yet to come at the World Cup and that the opening 7-1 against Curaçao was no real indication of what the team is capable of.
“We played our first match against an opponent who aren’t at world-class level. We have some some real tests ahead of us that will show us where we stand,” Kimmich told a news conference on Tuesday.
Germany play Ivory Coast on Saturday in Toronto and a final group match against Ecuador on June 25 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
"We need to work on our stability and concede fewer goals,” Kimmich urged, saying that Curaçao temporary equalizer should have never happened.
Kimmich said that "defensive cover" remains an important issue as he warned that Ivory Coast have "spectacular players" like yougster Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and that the physical challenges will increase by the time they face Ecuador.
But Kimmich also insisted that "we have the quality to hurt both opponents."
A victory against Ivory Coast will guarantee a place in the knock-out rounds the four-time champions failed to reach at the last two editions in 2018 and 2022.
The German squad had Tuesday off and players were visited by family members at their base camp. Training resumes on Wednesday.
