Neuer demands Germany seal knockout spot early as Napoli chief eyes Lukaku and De Bruyne

Manuel Neuer has urged Germany to secure their place in the World Cup knockout stages with a game to spare, as Julian Nagelsmann’s side prepare to face Ivory Coast in Toronto on Saturday following a commanding 7-1 opening win over Curacao in Houston.

Germany and Ivory Coast are level at the top of Group E after the Ivorians defeated Ecuador in their own opener, setting up a pivotal second-round clash. Neuer, acutely aware of Germany’s back-to-back group-stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, is determined to avoid a third consecutive humiliation.

“That’s our aim, and it’s all in our own hands,” the Bayern Munich goalkeeper said. “We made a good start and we don’t want to look back at previous tournaments. The players aren’t dwelling on that. All our focus is on the next step, and for us that means Ivory Coast.”

Neuer acknowledged the challenge ahead but insisted his squad is well-prepared. “We’ll be facing a very strong side in Toronto, but we’re really well prepared. We know what to expect, and I think Ivory Coast know what to expect too,” he said. “It would be something special for us to have our place secured after two games. There’s already a lot of talk about France, but we’re not looking at that. We just want to focus on the next game.”

Elsewhere at the tournament, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is set to attend Belgium’s Group D fixture against Iran to personally assess the situations of Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom face uncertain futures at the Italian club.

Lukaku, who played just 64 minutes of football last season due to injury, has publicly stated his desire to remain at Napoli but was also embroiled in a disciplinary dispute after allegedly failing to report for training in late March. De Bruyne, meanwhile, recently made headlines by saying he was relieved to see the back of former manager Antonio Conte, criticising his defensive approach.

De Laurentiis did not hold back when addressing both players at a press conference. “They have made statements that are either acceptable or unacceptable depending on your point of view,” he said. “We’ll see what happens when we all get back to work. We’ll see what the new coach thinks of it. If someone has to leave, they will leave. What’s the problem? There are plenty of footballers in the world.”

Lukaku came off the bench against Egypt and forced an own goal, but is not expected to start against Iran as Belgium look to build on a point from their opening match.