Germany need a win to consolidate their group standing and will press high from kick-off with a specific intention to score early and dictate the tempo. WhoScored confirms: Germany have scored first in nine of their last ten international matches — an extraordinary early-goal rate that makes their forwards the primary first-goal market in virtually every game they play. Ivory Coast, for all their attacking quality, are unlikely to out-press Germany in the opening exchanges. The first 20-30 minutes are expected to see Germany control possession and create chances — whoever finishes the first one is the hero in the first-goal market.

The first-goal case for the German striker is built on position and pattern. Germany's 4-2-3-1 presses high from kick-off, with Kimmich's overlapping runs and the Wirtz–Musiala axis generating early chances. In that system, the central striker is the primary finishing destination for Germany's first genuine opportunity. Havertz has scored at each of the last four major tournaments; Undav has 11 goal contributions in just 10 senior Germany appearances. At +500, implied probability approximately 17% is reasonable for a starting striker in a team with a 90% first-goal rate.

Wirtz's first-goal case differs from the striker's position-based argument — his is based on movement mechanics. In Germany's 4-2-3-1, Wirtz operates as the most mobile creative player in the attacking three, making diagonal runs from left to right and arriving in the penalty area from angles that opposing defenders find harder to track. In high-press situations — which Germany deploy from the first whistle — Wirtz is often the first player to arrive in the final third as Germany's counter-pressing wins the ball high up the pitch. This "early arrival" pattern makes him a genuine first-goal threat in the opening 20 minutes specifically.

Amad Diallo is the clear Ivory Coast first-goal pick — confirmed starting, most likely CIV scorer across multiple sources, and their primary counter-attacking threat on the left wing against Germany's high defensive line. However, the first-goal restriction adds a meaningful ~2.3x premium over his anytime odds (~+700 vs ~+300). The primary bet for Diallo is his anytime (~+300, Rotowire explicit best bet); the first-goal version at ~+700 is a small-stakes scenario dart. Germany conceded in the 21st minute vs Curaçao — Diallo's pace in behind on a counter could produce a very early CIV goal if Germany push too high.