Since making radical decisions in March, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has had a starting team with well-defined roles, supported by a bench that maintains healthy competition. Their second test in the Euro Cup will be against Hungary, this Wednesday (19), in Stuttgart.
In the show of strength against Scotland (5-1 victory), in the opening game of the European Championship, Nagelsmann was able to manage his players’ minutes on the field. He left midfielder Robert Andrich on the bench in the second half, after receiving a yellow card.
In the 15th minute of the second half, he decided to remove Florian Wirtz, the scorer of the first goal, to make way for Leroy Sané, still out of rhythm after pubalgia that prevented him from having a run since March.
In the final stretch of the match, he rested his idol Toni Kroos and put Emre Can on the field, called up for the Euros after Aleksandar Pavlovic was cut, two days before his debut.
“It’s quite unusual for the 11 who play the first game to be the same for the whole tournament. I showed that I don’t need a lot of time when I get into a game,” said striker Niclas Füllkrug.
The player was a starter for Borussia Dortmund throughout the season, but in the national team he is Kai Havertz’s backup, which did not stop him from scoring a great goal, the fourth in the rout over Scotland, five minutes after entering the field.
Focused and ready for tomorrow 🔥#DFB #GermanFootball #GermanMNT #EURO2024
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— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) June 18, 2024
Difficulties in recent years
“We need all the players,” explained goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at a press conference on Monday. Can confirmed that there is “really good energy in the team”, adding that everyone is “hungry”.
“When we’re on the bench, we always want to play,” he continued.
The quality of the options on the bench will be decisive for the game against Hungary, who arrived at the tournament with high expectations, but took a cold shower in the 3-1 defeat to Switzerland in their debut.
Germany will face the Hungarians with the lesson learned. Three years ago, in a Euro-2021 game, they drew 2-2 after falling twice behind on the scoreboard, and in the 2022/23 Nations League they drew away (1-1) and lost at home (1-0).
“It’s a very experienced team, which plays very well and has determination. I trained some of its players, I know what they are capable of”, highlighted Nagelsmann.
The German team wants to continue fueling the euphoria that is beginning to take over the country (22.5 million viewers in the game against Scotland), where some fans are already displaying national flags on their cars.
“I don’t want to hit the brakes, this is what all of Germany has been waiting for for a long time”, warned Kroos, leader of the new German football fairy tale.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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