National soccer team: Defensive key: Nagelsmann’s detail for title dreams

Antonio Rüdiger was very happy to share the social media post with the three big smileys on his Instagram account. The photo, cheerfully decorated by the DFB, shows the defensive star laughing alongside captain Joshua Kimmich and Jonathan Tah as he briskly walks onto the training pitch.

An image with symbolic character. Because before the national soccer team’s last home game of the European Championship year on Saturday (8.45 p.m./RTL) in Freiburg against Bosnia-Herzegovina, in which the group victory in the Nations League is to be bagged, this trio in particular has good reasons to be in a good mood. Because: The German defense hasn’t been as good as it was in 2024 for years.

The new stability is a key factor for the upswing under Julian Nagelsmann that often goes largely unnoticed. The wisdom that a good offense wins games, but a good defense is responsible for tournament success, has apparently found its way into the national coach’s plans.

Kimmich’s hunger for victories

Even if it was ultimately not enough for the triumph at the home European Championship in the summer due to the unfortunate 1:2 after extra time in the quarter-finals against Spain, the solid defense of the DFB team increases the title hopes for the Nations League 2025 and World Cup 2026. “We “We want to compete at the highest level. We want to win every competition we take part in,” said Kimmich.

A win against Bosnia-Herzegovina and group victory in the Nations League is certain; the starting position for reaching the Final Four in June 2025 with an expectedly easier quarter-final opponent three months earlier would be improved.

Goals conceded record of the national football team since 2018

YearGamesGatedGoalsGated per game 201813171.31201910121.2020208162.00202116130.81202212151.25202311222.0020241390.69

The defense did its part. If you compare the DFB team’s goals-against records since 2018, when the sporting decline, which has now been halted, began dramatically with the early World Cup exit in Russia, the national team scored before the game against Bosnia-Herzegovina and the final game on Tuesday (8.45 p.m./ZDF) in Budapest against Hungary is the best.

There have only been nine goals conceded in the 13 games so far this year, an average of 0.69 goals per game. Only in 2021 did they concede an average of 0.81 goals (13 goals/16 games). The record was particularly bad in the first Corona year of 2020 with 16 goals conceded in just eight games (average 2.0). The same rate, but absolutely the most goals conceded, occurred in 2023 (22/11).

Nagelsmann also played a part in this, conceding eight goals in his first four international matches as national coach. After the 2:3 against Turkey and the 0:2 in Austria exactly a year ago, radical measures were taken. Rüdiger and Tah were named the first central defender duo, Mats Hummels has never been considered since then and Kimmich was ordered back into the back four on the right.

“It was actually an absolute low point,” said the Munich native, recalling the mood a year ago. “The November course was the worst. Now we are at a different starting level. It’s about showing that again,” demanded Nagelsmann.

Changes worked

The national coach’s changes didn’t just affect the back four. The crux of the matter was the restructuring beforehand in the six-man position. Kimmich and Ilkay Gündogan were spatially equalized as a dysfunctional duo, and Toni Kroos was brought back as an emotional stabilizer. The good insight from the post-European Championship period: things continue solidly even without the former Real star.

Robert Andrich, as a resolute clearer, is up to the task. Pascal Groß is convincing, and with Aleksandar Pavlovic (20) and Angelo Stiller (23), who are missing injured this time, the future for the positions in front of the defense has already been clarified.

Backups for Tah and Rüdiger have been established centrally with Dortmund’s Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck and Robin Koch from Eintracht Frankfurt. Everyone runs for each other, “everyone gives it their all,” said Koch, who once made his debut in the national team under national coach Joachim Löw, about the mentality boost. The former problem position at the back left is solidly occupied by Maximilian Mittelstädt, Robin Gosens and the currently injured David Raum.

Never conceded more than two goals

For the first time since 2021 – at least so far – there has been an international year without conceding at least three goals in a game. “Of course, defense and offense are always a big issue. You have to have tactical processes and principles that the coach gives you,” said Koch about the priority of defensive work and Nagelsmann.

Only Spain scored twice in 120 minutes in Stuttgart and the Netherlands in a 2-2 draw against Germany in the Nations League in Amsterdam in September. The good defensive statistics in the top European comparison also continued in the UEFA competition. There have been three goals conceded in the four games so far. In the top league A, this figure is only bettered by Spain (1 goal conceded) – with the same goal difference of plus seven.