Ivory Coast's "German Bundesliga Killer" — Diomande Only Plays Against German Defenders

There is a very interesting highlight in this match — Jan Diomande. This guy plays for RB Leipzig, and this season he averages 4.3 successful dribbles per game in the Bundesliga, making him the "dribble king" of the entire league. His dribbling ability is extremely strong, and in the first round against Ecuador, he created the highest number of chances in the match with 5.

Why is Diomande particularly dangerous against the German team? Because he is too familiar with German defenders. Schlotterbeck plays for Dortmund, and Jonathan Tah is at Leverkusen; both have faced Diomande multiple times in the Bundesliga. Diomande knows their defensive habits — when they press, when they fall back, how fast they turn. This information is priceless during the game.

The German defenders face players like Diomande and are actually very passive. Schlotterbeck is tall but slow to turn, and Tah is strong in one-on-one duels but not very agile laterally. Diomande is exactly the type of player who can tear through the defense with feints and speed. If Germany’s defensive midfielders can’t provide timely support, once Diomande gets the ball near the penalty area, the German backline will be in great danger.

Besides Diomande, Ivory Coast also has Amad Diallo (Manchester United) and Nicolas Pépé. Any one of these three could easily hold their own in top European leagues. Ivory Coast’s counterattack speed is definitely among the best in this World Cup’s top 32 teams.

To limit Ivory Coast’s offense, Germany’s key is not to focus solely on defending the forwards but to cut off the passing lanes in midfield. Ivory Coast’s captain Kessie is the midfield core; if he doesn’t get the ball, the forwards can only watch helplessly. But the problem is — Kessie has played for AC Milan and Barcelona for many years, with extremely rich experience. It’s very difficult for Germany’s midfield to completely shut him down.

In this match, I suggest everyone pay close attention to every duel between Diomande and Schlotterbeck. This matchup could very well directly determine the course of the game.

#预测世界杯德国VS科特迪瓦