Exciting duels with Italy are waiting for the German national team. Right in the middle: A substitute that Julian Nagelsmann counts.
It was the 86th minute of the game in the probably decisive game of the past season: Tottenhams Heung-Min Son ran alone for the Manchester City’s goal. Substitute Stefan Ortega stopped for a long time before he started a balancing act and attempt to put it 1-1. Coach Pep Guardiola did not believe his eyes, even lay on the field after the rescue act.
The victory (2-0) brought City into pole position in the fight for the championship title of the Premier League won later. Although Ortega had matured into a hero, the reality looks very different ten months later: at Manchester City it is only number two.
In the current season, he previously played only 16 games across competitions, and most recently guarded the goal in the league in mid -March against Brighton (2-2). The 32-year-old fights for every effort-but usually only comes to the train when stammering goalkeeper Ederson fails. Now national coach Julian Nagelsmann has decided to appoint Ortega to the German national team squad against Italy.
Germany’s former national goalkeeper René Adler can guess why. “When Julian Nagelsmann speaks of roles in his team, you also need a clear number two-and that is a completely different challenge,” he said in an interview with T-online. Adler thus alludes to Ortega’s obvious ability to work within a very short time.
If a goalkeeper is injured in the game or have to leave the field for another reason, “then you can change Ortega and know that he has the experience in the role like no other. He is there immediately, comes out of cold pants and delivers,” said Adler.
The situation was similar against Tottenham last season. Everson had to go out, Ortega took over in the goal in the 69th minute – and was challenged several times. With a view to the national team, Adler said: “Tego (nickname, Note d. Red.) would be predestined in the role as a goalkeeper who can be substituted because he has practiced this at the highest level since moving to Man City. “
Ortega moved from today’s third division club Arminia Bielefeld to the Premier League in 2022. Since then he has played a duel again and again, the best number two – although he also has the qualities as a stammering goalkeeper. “Tego is a recognized guy in the cabin,” said Sky expert Adler. And he revealed that he had experienced: “Ortega would have had the approval of Pep Guardiola when Ederson’s departure would have finished number one.”
The Brazilian was associated with a move to Saudi Arabia last summer. Despite conversations, however, this failed. “I think there were quite a few players at City who had found Ortega Okay as a stammering goalkeeper,” said Adler, justifying: “He has outstanding qualities in the game structure, a very good blanket technique and a good ball acceptance and take a ball.”
The goalkeeping game has changed over the years. “It has become much more modern and no longer compared to my time. At the highest level it has become more important that a goalkeeper can cover up pressure situations of the opponent,” said Adler, who played in his active career at Bayer Leverkusen (2003 to 2012) and Hamburger SV (2012 to 2017).