analysis
The German national soccer team scored three of the five goals in the two quarter -final games of the Nations League against Italy. One of the main reasons for the strength is Tim Kleindienst.
Julian Nagelsmann spoke of one, “If not the most important development step” of the past few years. “Great things” He could take with him, as the national coach said on Sunday evening (March 23, 2025) after the 3: 3 against Italy in Dortmund.
One of these great things was the opposite of great, because the German team lost the second half with 0: 3, in their own stadium.
The great thing about it: the break -in remained without sporting consequences because the lead after a first half, which was the best of what a German national team had played in for a long time.
Preparation of preparation for preparation
“The first half was absolute madness“Said Tim Kleindetd, for example, and then he explicitly included this corner kick, which was as strange as spectacular and led to 2-0 through Jamal Musiala.
A “Mistas flash” called small service the quick execution of the corner kick by Joshua Kimmich. Someone who was not on the game report is a preparer. That was the ball boy Noel Urbaniack, who followed Kimmich’s command to give him a ball quickly.
Preparation for urbania jacks preparation of the preparation is definitely worth remembering. This started with the flankener, because that was central defender Antonio Rüdiger, who hit the head of small service from the right side.
The center forward headed onto the goal with force, but was unlucky that the Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was still aware and steered the ball over the crossbar – to the corner.
Small service will probably come to the ball
Shortly before the break, Donnarumma put the ball onto the post, but it was already behind the line. The preparation came back from Kimmich, who prepared four of the five goals in the two games against Italy, he scored the fifth on Sunday by penalty.
Before the 3-0, Kimmich had already got quite close from the right side of the goal line and the gate. The position gave an idea of a flat back pass than a high flank, but the captain chose the less likely variant.
The header is booming
He will have thought that it is quite likely that small service will get the ball with your head. He was right with it, and that is another knowledge of these quarter -final games: the header is booming in the German national team.
On Thursday in Milan, small service headed the one 1-1 after a perfect flank from Kimmich, Leon Goretzka got the 2-1 winning goal with a header after Kimmich’s corner kick.
Two header in one game, the selection of the German Football Association (DFB) before in 2017 had succeeded in a 5: 1 against Azerbaijan.
For two header goals, the German team needed all international matches in the calendar years 2022 and 2024. In between, only a header was achieved.
Kimmich’s powerful flanks
In 2025 she stands at three header meetings after two games. Research is quite easy. As a full -back, Kimmich can flank much more powerful than from the center in which he was found as a “six”.
Another cause is Goretzka, who is known for his header strength, small service is even very well known for this.
Six header gates for Mönchengladbach this season
Of his 29 Bundesligators for the 1st FC Heidenheim and Borussia Mönchengladbach, Kleindienst achieved nine with his head. This season there are already six header in the league, nobody will get anymore.
Work on the pendulum pays off
Just like national coach Julian Nagelsmann, the two clubs can thank Horst Krautzig. The former league football player in the GDR regularly offered small service to the header pendulum when she was trained at Energie Cottbus.
The 29 -year -old center forward also wins many header duels with his back to the goal, puts it off for a recurring colleague or extends the ball into the course of another.
First options
Small service benefits from the fact that Niclas Füllkrug, another classic center forward, is currently injured. The Gladbacher was a little was a placeholder for filling jugs, but not only because of its balance sheet with four goals in six international matches, small service should now be the first option for the category of classic center forward in the national team squad.
However, Kai Havertz, currently violated, is still the first option in the central attack of the starting eleven. The FC Arsenal professional also has a solid header, but it is stronger with his feet, and the national team’s offensive game has a different, more playful structure with Havertz.
Also good on head balls on the defensive
The header has become an extremely profitable means on the offensive. Also on the defensive, the statistics read well for the time under Nagelsmann as a national coach.
The causes of this are primarily Antonio Rüdiger and Jonathan Tah. The two central defenders allow the opponents only a few chances of header. However, one fact disturbs this balance: the Spaniard Mikel Merino headed Germany in the quarter -finals of the 2024 European Championship.
Possible revenes against Spain
Germany could get Germany at the final Four of the Nations League in Munich and Stuttgart in early June. Nagelsmann does not want to hang the importance of the tournament that high. The title at an EM has a completely different status.
For the national coach, only the summer of 2026 counts, in which a World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is due. A realization, about 15 months before the start of the tournament, is: it looks good with your head.