Half-time reading.

45+4 mins: It does feel like if Germany are to get back into this that Nmecha will be very important. He is a silky player.

Musiala goes down in the vicinity of the box after a Diallo challenge. The referee gives nothing and rightly so.

Down the other end, Bonny outmuscles Schlotterbeck but the defender does well to get back at him and gives away a corner.

45+2 mins: Germany take a short corner without an end plan. Kimmich belatedly chips the ball into the box but it is easily cleared. There is a bit more shadow play after that but no threat.

Richard says: “It’s not a hydration break.

Call it what it is.

Time waster break - in which everyone should get a yellow card.

Tactical up date break.

Momentum break.

Advert break.

It’s 20 degrees down here in New Zealand and I don’t yet need rehydrating. We never had them at Wigan.

The various new rules have improved the game, but this contrived break defffo doesn’t.

45 mins: Seven minutes added on.

Kári Tulinius writes: “I’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen that Côte d’Ivoire are being underestimated and could go deep. But I might be hoisted by my own petard, because if they win their group they’ll be on a collision course with France in the round of 16. Even I, at my most hopeful on the Elephants behalf, don’t expect them to beat this French side.”

43 mins: A Germany corner creates chaos in the box with some erratic pinballing before it is cleared.

41 mins: Kimmich chips a free-kick into the box, it bounces down but Cote d’Ivoire win the second ball and punt clear.

Wirtz then gets a fine chance just inside the box but his first touch is poor and his shot is deflected wide.

39 mins: NO GOAL! The referee witnesses Musiala trip Kossounou on the edge of the box, before the ball runs free and eventually Havertz slams home. The whistle is then blown and the goal ruled out. VAR checks but there is no reason to overturn it.

38 mins: The clouds ensure the pitch is covered in shade now. I wouldn’t bother with the second hydration break later, lads.

Germany are knocking the ball around but struggling to break through the aggressive press. Cote d’Ivoire win the ball back on the halfway and move forward at speed, culminating with a tame Bonny shot.

36 mins: To sum up the current malaise Germany find themselves in, Schlotterbeck has just pinged a 60-yard pass straight out for a goal kick. There was no one in white within an acre of where the ball landed. Better luck next time, mate.

34 mins: The goal has, understandably, given Cote d’Ivoire a lift. They are looking slicker and more confident.

FB gets in touch: “A few observations from this Irish viewer from my couch on the Lower East Side:

- these second group games have been characterised by far more dribbling and taking defenders on than the cagey triangular passing in the opening fixtures for each team

- you could nearly set your watch by the first water break and a keeper injury (or “injury”) — there seems to be an unwillingness for refs to deal with it and I’ve seen the water whistle blown more than once in games to paper over awkward decision-making

- I see Côte d’Ivoire nicking one here but not sure if they’ll be able to hold off a predictable German onslaught — the Germans look very good, don’t they?

Oops! I wrote that (#3) seconds ago. Let’s see if it comes true. Allez Les Éléphants!!

32 mins: German need to adapt and potential help out Kimmich at right-back.

GOAL! Diomande does superbly well on the left and flashes a cross into the six-yard box. Diallo should score but Brown does well to block his point blank shot, only for the rebound to fall to Kessie, who forces the ball home.

29 mins: Rudiger is getting some instructions from Nagelsmann. One must assume he is coming on for Schlotterbeck.

28 mins: I criticise the hydration break but it did give me time to unplug the car.

25 mins: HYDRATION BREAK! It is 22C after all. Attendees rightly boo.

Speaking of water breaks … you have three minutes to read this.

22 mins: NO GOAL! The resulting corner is sent to the back post where Pavlovic challenges the goalkeeper. The German beats Fofana to it, nodding home but the referee rules it out. I would argue it as a bit soft but the goalkeeper always gets those.

21 mins: Germany are ramping things up, passing the ball with greater pace and smoothness to cause the Ivorians problems. Nmecha takes a punt from 25 yards which is deflected over, rippling the roof of the net.

20 mins: A slick German move ends with Brown overhitting a through ball for Havertz, allowing Fofana to come and collect.

18 mins: Brown drives down the left, he looks up and slides the ball to the edge of the box but the pass is not perfect and is intercepted.

Moments later Musiala receives the ball 20 yards from goal, he gets it out of his feet and takes aim for the bottom corner but the shot flashes inches wide.

16 mins: Schlotterbeck gets back up and wanders off for further treatment on his ankle. After his enforced one-minute absence, he is back with us.

14 mins: Diomande has a great chance to drive into the box on the left but takes a bad touch and runs the ball out of play.

Schlotterbeck’s race is run. He is sat down and awaiting a replacement.

12 mins: Musiala is taken down by Singo on the halfway line. I assume the Bayern man will get plenty of close attention.

Schlotterbeck is struggling and may need to come off very soon.

Cote d’Ivoire launch a quick attack which concludes with Singo pummelling a shot into a German defender.

10 mins: Kimmich lifts in a cross for Havertz to attack, flicking his neck muscles to direct the ball towards the bottom corner but Fofana gets down quickly to save smartly.

Blair Stewart emails: “Seeing as how Nagelsmann managed to go through three wardrobe changes for the last match as if he’s late stage Elvis or Lady Gaga playing the strip in Las Vegas, what can we expect today during the “hydration breaks”?

“Feather boas? A Zoot Suit? Spaceman suit?

“Your thoughts please and thanks.”

Fedora or nothing.

8 mins: Cote d’Ivoire are putting the Germans under pressure on the ball, and vice versa. Fofana is forced into a mistake at the back, panicking amid the press, basically passing the ball out to the left to avoid being the victim of a pickpocket on his own line.

6 mins: Diomande has admitted to being turned down by Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Rangers and Olympiakos after having trials with the clubs. They may feel a little silly now.

4 mins: Germany are enjoying all the possession but when they lose it Cote d’Ivoire are primed to bounce. Their chance to counter sees Diomande get down the left and put in a cross from the byline but the Germans scramble it away. It would seem Diomande is fine.

2 mins: Diomande is hobbling around with a grimace on his face. Not ideal …

1 mins: Germany lump it up immediately, looking to put the Ivorians under pressure. The ball drops to Havertz inside the box but he spanks it over after 15 seconds.

They’ve made it out to the pitch very early, so surely this match will kick off on time.

Here comes the teams, filing out behind their respective flags.

The players are heading to the tunnel …

“Either at the start of this season or the end of last there was a piece on the website where various Guardian football writers suggested innovations they would like to see,” writes David Wall. “One suggestion was for teams to switch tactics, or formations, or player positions during a match in a pre-planned way. For instance, a team might start in a 4-4-2 formation then at a pre-planned minute or on a signal from the manager, they would switch to 4-2-3-1, for 10 minutes, then switch back or to another formation. Or they might start in a low defensive position, looking to attack on the break, then similarly switch suddenly to an intensive pressing approach for a period, and so on. The thought was that the surprise would disrupt the patterns that the opponent had establish and in that time before they worked out what the new shape and approach was, and how to defend against it, you could score a goal or two (and we saw in England’s match against Croatia how many chances you can make in a very short period of time, when they could easily have scored 3 or 4 in the ten minutes after half time). We’ve already seen how the hydration breaks have allowed managers to make changes to shift the momentum if they’re struggling at that point. But I wonder if, by the later stages of the tournament, one of the more strategic managers will start using the hydration breaks for pre-planned tactical switches rather than merely reactive ones. And if they do, will they credit The Guardian for the idea?”

Sounds very Wilson.

Amrick emails: “Is it just me or does Gary Neville look a little put out (dare I say jealous) of the OG original Gary Lineker?”

Who wouldn’t?

Manuel Neuer is back between the sticks for Germany after coming out of international retirement aged 40. I can offer some insight that he prepared for the tournament with a holiday in Mallorca.

It feels like a big summer and season ahead for Amad Diallo. He has done reasonably well for Manchester United but I still debate if he can take them forward in the Champions League. He needs to show he can move up a couple of levels and thriving at a World Cup would help that.

Andrew Goudie emails: “Lineker is all well and good, but Duncan Ferguson is the break-out pundit of the tournament.”

I did interview Big Dunc during his spell at Forest Green, so I am not surprised his personality has shone in Brooklyn.

Nick Ames was on hand to watch Netherlands give Sweden a bit of a shooing.

Lineker, however, is happy to have a pop at the pricing, taking aim at Fifa.

Mark Bullingham is on ITV and bottles a question on the cost of tickets at this World Cup and how it has priced out many England fans. A rather cowardly response in my opinion.

Gary Lineker is on ITV. What a world we live in.

Some cracking larks in the Germany training camp where they have come face-to-face with venomous snakes in North Carolina.

“We saw a snake yesterday, we were told it was venomous. If you get bitten, you have to go to the hospital,” the midfielder Joshua Kimmich said. “I don’t think you’ll die, but it’s certainly dangerous. I have the feeling that if you step on a snake like that, it can end badly.

“That’s why we’re trying to keep our distance from animals here. I have respect for the people here. In Germany, I have the feeling there aren’t so many dangerous animals.”

Where are the Germans? Marching through Toronto it transpires and they really do care.

The Dutch lads are doing the business against Sweden to make a certain Mr Messi worried. Check out the Golden Boot standings.

Your daily England news.

There are no shortage of whispers around Yan Diomande’s future and how much it will cost Liverpool to sign him for RB Leipzig. The German club may hope he prospers tonight and they can shuck a few more quick onto the price tag.

Jamal Musiala was good against Curacao as a No 10. I will be interested to see how he copes against the Ivorians.

While you’re waiting for this one, join John Brewin for Netherlands v Sweden.

Pre-match reading.