Left-back for the German national team was not considered a position of strength entering the EURO 2024 tournament, but RB Leipzig’s David Raum and VfB Stuttgart’s Maximilian Mittelstädt have made it one since games began.
While Maximilian Mittelstädt started throughout the Group Stage, Raum took over for the Round of 16 and continued the run of strong play. For Raum, it is a good, healthy competition for playing time.
“We both try to make it very difficult for the coach to decide. It’s perfect for a coach when he can rotate and the quality remains the same. I pushed Maxi, and he’s pushing me now. We do that in training too. If the coach is faced with a difficult decision, then we’ve done everything right,” said Raum (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Left-back will be one of a few spots where head coach (and former Bayern Munich manager) Julian Nagelsmann will have to make a tough call. Who will it be?
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Germany’s 2-0 victory over Denmark? Good, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show where we cover the starting lineup selection, a rundown of the scoring and substitutions, and takes on how it all played out. You can get the podcast on Spotify or below: