The national team is now in the group phase. And the plus points outweigh the minus. A look at the winners and losers before the start of the knockout phase.
The group phase is over for the DFB selection. The national football team has reached its first milestones at the European Championships on home soil.
They have advanced to the round of 16 as group winners – and have united the fans behind them. Next Saturday they will play against the second-placed team in Group C in Dortmund. National coach Julian Nagelsmann and his team will only find out their opponents this evening, and anything is possible, from table leaders England (4 points) to Denmark and Slovenia (2 each) to Serbia (1).
“We have built up a certain stability and implemented a lot of what the coach asked. But we still have room for improvement,” said top joker Niclas Füllkrug. Nagelsmann has already used 21 of the 26 players. An initial assessment before the start of the knockout phase shows: There are more winners than losers, more plus than minus.
The preliminary round winners
Jamal Musiala: On the poor Frankfurt pitch, the 21-year-old Bayern professional was unable to work his magic like he did against Scotland and Hungary, when he scored and put his stamp on the offensive game. At the 2022 World Cup, he still lacked effectiveness. A year and a half later, Musiala could become the (young) star of the tournament. “It’s such a joy to play with him,” enthused captain Ilkay Gündogan.
Ilkay Gündogan: The captain has found his role and dispelled doubts about him. The 33-year-old is finally making as much of an impact in the national team jersey as he has for years in the club kit. The small positional shift forward in front of midfield leader Toni Kroos is a win for both sides. Gündogan acts as an improver of the offense around Musiala and Florian Wirtz.
Julian Nagelsmann: The radical overhaul of the squad in March with the removal of established players such as Mats Hummels and Leon Goretzka as well as the comeback of Kroos had an effect. And the European Championship role play with regular players, challengers and hungry tournament newcomers has worked so far. The 36-year-old has also found his way from the role of club coach to that of national coach.
He has also managed to get the fans in a party mood. The national team is back in fashion. But Nagelsmann knows that the final score is reached at the end of a tournament. And at three home tournaments – World Cup 1974, European Championship semi-final in 1988, World Cup semi-final in 2006 – they always went very far. “We are trying everything humanly possible to win the title,” he said.
Goalkeeper question resolved?
Manuel Neuer: His appointment as tournament goalkeeper was not only questionable for his eternal rival Marc-André ter Stegen. The 38-year-old made mistakes in the final phase of the season at FC Bayern and also in the European Championship tests before the tournament began. But since the European Championship kicked off, Neuer has been playing like Neuer again. He was powerless to stop the two goals conceded so far. Before the late 1-1 equalizer against Switzerland, he prevented Granit Xhaka from scoring the 0-2 knockout blow.
Niclas Füllkrug: The Borussia Dortmund centre-forward is not used to being on the bench three times in his club jersey. In the DFB team, he has to line up behind Kai Havertz – and, as he did at the botched 2022 World Cup, he plays as a substitute. He scored against Scotland and Switzerland and is now “hugely” looking forward to the round of 16 home game in Dortmund.
The preliminary round losers
Leroy Sané: After long-term pubic bone problems and a three-game suspension following a red card in November 2023 in the 0-2 defeat against Austria, the 28-year-old Munich player has lost his starting place. Substituted three times, no goals, no assists. Sané is still waiting for his tournament moments. For Nagelsmann, the winger remains “an important player who can decide close games”. In the knockout rounds?
Thomas Müller: Manuel Neuer (38) and Toni Kroos (34) are working on one last hurrah in the DFB team. And the third world champion of 2014? The 34-year-old Müller was called up for the European Championship as a substitute in his Munich football living room against Scotland. He has been watching ever since. At the fourth European Championship tournament, the 34-year-old’s longing wait for his first European Championship goal continues. He is a long way from a role à la Neuer and Kroos.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
