Ivory Coast will head into the halftime break with a crucial 1-0 lead over Germany after an absorbing first half marked by relentless German pressure, two disallowed goals, and a clinical finish from Franck Kessie.
Germany started the brighter side and nearly broke the deadlock in the 10th minute when Joshua Kimmich delivered a superb cross into the penalty area, only for goalkeeper Yahia Fofana to produce an outstanding save to deny Kai Havertz’s powerful header.
The Europeans thought they had found the breakthrough in the 22nd minute when the ball found the back of the net from a corner kick. However, the celebrations were cut short after the referee ruled out the goal for a foul by Aleksandar Pavlovic on Fofana during the aerial challenge, allowing Ivory Coast to breathe a sigh of relief.
Having weathered the early storm, the Elephants struck with precision in the 30th minute. A dangerous cross from the left by Diomande picked out Diallo, whose initial effort was blocked by Brown. The rebound fell kindly to Franck Kessie, who reacted quickest to smash the ball home and hand Ivory Coast a priceless 1-0 advantage.
Germany continued to press for an equaliser before the interval and once again found the net, but their celebrations were again cut short as the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside.
Despite Germany creating the better chances, Ivory Coast’s resilience at the back and Kessie’s decisive finish have given the African side the upper hand heading into the second half, with the contest still finely poised.
