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ITV pundits were full of praise for Liverpool transfer target Yan Diomande after his electrifying display against Germany, saying the young winger “lived up to the hype” with a commanding first-half performance.

Germany went into the interval trailing 1-0 against Ivory Coast, with Julian Nagelsmann’s side struggling to find a way through the disciplined Les Éléphants defence.

The remaining Group E fixture between Ecuador and Curacao is scheduled for tonight at 1 p.m. UK time.

Just as he did in his debut outing, RB Leipzig star Diomande once again stole the spotlight. The Ivorian, strongly linked with a Premier League move, was a constant menace down the flank, following up last week’s impressive outing against Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie by tormenting Joshua Kimmich throughout the first half. His performance drew high praise from Gary Neville and Ian Wright on ITV’s broadcast.

“He’s one of the most experienced right-backs in the world, and he’s really struggling in this first half,” Neville remarked. “He looks frightened of Yan Diomande — and remember, he’s only 19 years old. Germany have had 56 per cent of their attacks coming down that side, which shows how much pressure they’re under.”

Neville added, “I’ve been there as an older right-back when you’re up against a fearless youngster — it’s not a pleasant experience.”

Ian Wright was equally impressed, saying, “You know what? He’s definitely lived up to the hype. I know we’ve spoken a lot about the hydration break, but after that moment, Ivory Coast just took control. Diomande has stepped up to another level in this game — he’s fully delivered on the expectations.”

Wright continued, “His pressing is superb, his dribbling is top-notch, and he’s absolutely dismantling defenders.”

Germany, meanwhile, have found life difficult in their second World Cup group-stage outing. Reflecting on their defensive struggles, Neville observed, “When you’ve got someone so skilful, two-footed, and quick, you need extra support. You can see three or four German players trying to close him down near Diomande, but even then, he’s still taking them on. They’ll have to sort that out in the second half — maybe bring Leroy Sané back to help out. You can already see Sané tracking back to assist Kimmich, but that’s becoming a real issue for Germany.”

Neville concluded, “The Germans have another big problem — they can’t break down this Ivory Coast defence. But they also can’t keep leaving Diomande one-on-one, or they’ll be punished again.”