Back home in a private jet and quickly back to everyday life in the Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund’s national players face a big task against Werder Bremen.
Niclas Füllkrug certainly cannot be said to have a disturbed relationship with his self-confidence. The 30-year-old BVB attacker, who seems to be riding a wave of success since joining the German national team, assessed Borussia Dortmund’s costly repatriation of its national players from the USA in his own unique way: “I think it’s great that BVB is doing this. Everyone knows that we four national players play a certain role at BVB and are doing a really good job there!”
Now against the old club
Füllkrug is on top – everyone who watches the national team and BVB can feel that. The end of his seemingly eternal injury misery, the blossoming in Bremen, the jump into the DFB team, the spectacular move to Borussia Dortmund – in the approaching autumn of his career, the Hanover native is really getting started.
Borussia Dortmund welcomes Füllkrug’s old club Werder Bremen on Friday evening – “I look forward to seeing you again with abundance”said Werder coach Ole Werner before the game on Friday. However, the coach adds: “For me, the fact that Niclas Füllkrug is playing on the other side is not a priority in my everyday work.”
Germany’s number one striker
But of course: Werder will keep a close eye on Füllkrug. The trip to the USA under the new national coach Julian Nagelsmann gave the center forward further impetus. The goalscorer scored one goal both against the USA on Saturday (3:1) and on Wednesday night against Mexico (2:2). Füllkrug has already scored nine goals in just eleven international matches.
For Nagelsmann he is now the number one striker. Even if the national coach doesn’t want to give carte blanche: “It’s like with Josh (Kimmich): I don’t want to give any player a guarantee of a regular place because then it’s too easy for the player. In general, they have to perform. If they perform better than other players, then they are set.”
Hummels delivered
Like Füllkrug, Mats Hummels also returned to BVB on Wednesday with a big chest. Alongside Antonio Rüdiger, the BVB defense chief, who was brought back into the DFB team by Nagelsmann, delivered a strong international game against the USA. The central defender, who played his last international match in June 2021 in the European Championship exit in the round of 16 against England, impressed with his opening game and header strength.
The 34-year-old was extremely satisfied: “There was a certain extra tension. It was a lot of fun. The anthem before the game, but also during the game, standing on the field in that setting.” The veteran was rested in the second match against Mexico.
Rüdiger/Hummels: Central defender duo for the euro?
Nagelsmann seemed to have seen enough good things from the central defender duo Hummels/Rüdiger in the USA game. Accordingly, another Dortmund player will probably have to take a back seat at the Euros: Niklas Süle. The 28-year-old was allowed to play on the right side of defense from the start against Mexico, but once again cut a rather unfortunate figure.
The sturdy defender first allowed Lozano to play around him before the score was 1-1, then danced him out on the outside of the penalty area and was unable to prevent the sharp assist. And he also lost the duel against goalscorer Sanchez before conceding the second goal. A black day for him. Undoubtedly not one he could recommend himself to.
Julian Brandt – standing at the back in the National team
Julian Brandt must have returned home with mixed feelings. The offensive midfielder, who has been playing well for BVB this season, has had to register: Even under Nagelsmann, he has to play at the back of the national team. Given the strong youngsters Musiala and Wirtz, he currently only has a position on the substitute bench.
This means he can place even more emphasis on his role in the club. After difficult first years at BVB, he is now a regular player in Dortmund: “For some it happens faster as the ripening process occurs, for me it took a little longer”, he admits. He will want to show his new value for Borussia Dortmund against Werder Bremen on Friday.
Everything against another “bankruptcy of the century”
For BVB it is also about making people forget the “defeat of the century” against Werder that they suffered 14 months ago. On the third matchday of last season, Werder celebrated a spectacular 3-2 win for the ages against the top team.
In the 89th minute it was still 0:2 – the game seemed over for Bremen. But then Werder turned the game around within six minutes and won phenomenally 3-2. A trauma that BVB now wants to forget.