With Portugal, a heavy opponent is waiting for Germany in the Nations League. Especially because the national coach lacks important players.
Benjamin Zurmühl reports from Munich
Julian Nagelsmann doesn’t have it easy. Before the Nations League semi-final against Portugal (on Wednesday from 9 p.m. in the T-Online Live Tickier) there are many personnel questions about the national team. There would be a goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen, who has just been back from an injury and, according to Spanish media, may be degraded to number two at FC Barcelona. In addition, the failures in the defensive center of defense chief Antonio Rüdiger and representative Nico Schlotterbeck are there. The cancellation of midfield hope Angelo Stiller. The expandable game practice of European Championship championship player Robert Andrich. The monthly violation of striker Tim Kleindienst. The trio around Nadiem Amiri, Jonathan Burkardt and Yann Aurel Bisseck, which was injured after the nomination. Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala, for whom it was not enough after their injuries. Or Florian Wirtz, who is a daily topic due to his upcoming change to Liverpool.
A calm and ideal preparation for the “mini-European”, as the Final Four of the Nations League is often called from the DFB page, looks different. But that doesn’t change the goal of stretching the 7.5 kilogram and 71 centimeter trophy on Sunday evening on Sunday evening.
“We want to get there now to win titles together. This is very important for us as a group,” emphasized Julian Nagelsmann at the press conference before the game. A sense of achievement as a teaser for what is to follow in a year at the World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the USA. Last week he had brought the example of Spain to make the importance of the Nations League clear. The Iberers had won the past issue and “cheered extremely exuberantly”. Nagelsmann’s realization: “The Spanish team has understood how meaningful the Nations League can be.” A year later she won the European Championship in Germany.
In order to win the title, the DFB selection must pass Portugal in Munich on Wednesday. He did not want to reveal which eleven national coach Nagelsmann wants to do that. Nine of eleven places have already been awarded. “If you (the players, editor’s note) have paid attention in training, you know that you are playing,” said the 37-year-old. Leon Goretzka, who was sitting at the press conference next to Nagelsmann, replied with a smile: “I paid attention.” In addition to Goretzka, goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen, creative player Florian Wirtz and captain Joshua Kimmich also secure their place. In addition, Jonathan Tah is in the defense center, next to him the recessed Waldemar Anton is expected to play.
The striker position was one of the two open positions on Tuesday. Nick Woltemade and Niclas Füllkrug are the candidates. Both had “trained well,” emphasized the national coach, but then added: “Sure, abundance may be a bit more present in training because he has been there for a long time and everyone knows. But I also think it was good that Nick had a healthy humility in the first units.” A either-or did not want to see the national coach as the only option. “Maybe we also play with both, that can be. Let yourself be surprised!” He said mysterious.
Nagelsmann was a bit talkative when asked about his expectation to the opponent from a tactical point of view. “You have a huge strength in your own ball possession in the opposing half. They play a lot, there is already a lot of freestyle. You can’t press them into a template,” he said.
He expects his team to pay full attention defensively. “You (Portugal, editor’s note) just have good moments when you accelerate the game. This is the most dangerous, you pull many players out of your chain because you have the feeling that you have to put pressure on the ball, and then they go into the gap with a lot of pace,” he analyzed.