Who is better?
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When 1. FC Cologne hosts FC Bayern Munich in the DFB Cup on Wednesday evening, the game will also feature two promising youngsters: Said El Mala and Lennart Karl. In the run-up to the duel, both coaches revealed what they value about their own and their opponent’s protégés. Transfermarkt takes a detailed look at the two market value winners.
It’s not easy to get past the shooting stars of the Bundesliga these days. Here’s some praise from experts, there’s a warm recommendation for Julian Nagelsmann’s World Cup squad, and now there’s also the mutual enthusiasm of the trainers before the direct duel. 19-year-old El Mala and 17-year-old Karl have been on everyone’s lips with their recent performances. While the Cologne winger has already been guaranteed a starting eleven by coach Lukas Kwasniok, Vincent Kompany is likely to bring the attacking midfielder Karl off the bench. One thing is clear: all eyes are on the two youngsters on Wednesday evening, who have impressively proven that they can make the difference.
“El Mala has this first acceleration – and then he has a second acceleration in this action. That surprises a lot of defenders. And then he can also get a shot from this high-speed action. He does that well. This feeling of being inactive and then suddenly going full on counterattack is a quality that you can use for a whole career,” Bayern coach Kompany praised the Cologne player and caused the first rumors. Since his Bundesliga debut on matchday one, El Mala has contributed four scorers in eight games. The Krefeld native’s rapid development into one of the hottest stocks in the German upper house was reflected in its market value two weeks ago – which increased sixfold as a result of the Budnesliga update.
Said El Mala: We worked our way into the Bundesliga the hard way
El Mala, who had failed in Mönchengladbach’s youth and worked his way into the Bundesliga the hard way via the intermediate stations Meerbusch and Viktoria Köln, increased the euphoria that was already prevalent in the cathedral city after promotion. The latter has carried the billy goats to 8th place so far, and the left winger’s sometimes unpredictable and not low-risk instinctive football also plays a part in this. “He is a highlight player,” says Kwasniok, “courageous, cheeky, fast – and down-to-earth.”
A look at the paper shows El Mala’s value for FC: He has a top speed of 35 km/h (Karl 32.6), quickly looks for the goal (17; Karl 10), takes tackles (on average 31 per 90 minutes; Karl 28) and has scored every 80 minutes so far. Karl’s average time for a goal is 69 minutes. The Munich player has a safer pass rate (87% successful passes; El Mala 69) and runs an average of 12.9 kilometers per 90 minutes, more than the FC talent (11.4 km).
“Both shine with their speed, technique, dribbling skills and good finishing,” said record national player Lothar Matthäus when asked about the two youngsters at the weekend. Kwasniok made a more nuanced comparison on Tuesday: “I think that Karl still has a combinative element in his game and can play different positions. Said is someone who operates completely on the wing and has 1:1 dribbling. He is more of a specialist, while Karl is more of a free spirit.”
Bavaria’s Lennart Karl and the constant path to the elite
While El Mala’s vertical takeoff, which appeared to have no adjustment problems, came as a surprise to quite a few despite his qualities, Karl’s steep development became apparent. In Munich, the homegrown team took the classic route through the young talent on the Bayern campus to the professionals and broke one record after the other. Last season he was part of the Bundesliga and Champions League squads several times, but was not used. The debuts have now been successfully completed, there are three scorers from both competitions, and the market value of the 1.68 meter tall technician shot up from 1.5 million to 20 million euros in October.
Bayern’s U19 coach Peter Gaydarov confirmed the youngster to Transfermarkt in the summer: “Lennart Karl is characterized by his outstanding technical skills, which he continuously develops at a high level. Over the course of 2025, he has made significant progress not only in his athletic dynamism, but also in his personal development. His quick adaptation to the level of professional training underlines his ability to learn and his potential. Since then, he has noticeably developed further in all phases of the game – especially in defense, in His transition and dribbling skills are impressive and show great enthusiasm and intelligence.”
Karl impresses with his fundamental composure in his game. He has always “delivered when he’s on the pitch” even with the professionals, said Matthäus and confirmed: “He doesn’t seem nervous at all, but plays as if he’s been kicking in the Bundesliga for years. That’s a rare gift.” It came as no surprise at the beginning of the week that the Bayern jewel would receive an improved contract without an exit clause for his 18th birthday.
The comparison currently being made by many fans and the question “Who is better?” are a classic case of apples and oranges given the different player profiles. Kwasniok said smugly in this regard: “I assume that they both have a pretty good career ahead of them,” and Kompany also attested that it was “nice for both players that they can get a lot better.”