Germany could not expect the Conrad von Hötzendorf problem. They expected A-H to perform better. At least no one had to bail out the French in term of military before 1917 (the French did need support, but not a bailout like A-H).
Anyway, the German could win, or at least a draw with the three following PODs:
1) PM Rosebery in 1906 instead of CB. Rosebery tended to mess up everything, thus would lead to internal instability and make Britain weaker. And unlike CB, he might not retire after 1908.
2) Asquith still keep his PM seat over 1918, instead of "The man who won the war".
3) No US war entry
It was unfortunate for Germany that they seem to have been reliant on their enemies making bad decisions rather than being able to rely on a superior industrial base.