Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger has been solid for the German national team at the EURO 2024 competition and now will be hoping to lead his squad’s backline against a very dangerous side from Spain in the quarterfinals.
“It’s a big and important game, a classic, I’m just looking forward to it. For me, the two best teams in the tournament so far will face each other. I see a game on an equal footing. We have to be ready for the fight,” Rüdiger told kicker (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “We have to have the courage to go forward, because they are also vulnerable. They press high, you can get past that. But in order to do that, we have to have good possession of the ball and be calm in pressure situations. And we can’t make any mistakes.”
Rüdiger knows that it will not just be the defense’s job to create chaos for Spain. On the attack, the center-back expects Jamal Musiala to make a big impact.
“We as a team have to make sure he can be free, because he’s a difference maker. But Jamal is still very young. If you give players like him the sole responsibility, it can be too much for them. That’s why it’s important that the rest of us fulfill our tasks and enable him to have this freedom,” Rüdiger noted.
Looking for more thoughts on Germany’s upcoming EURO 2024 quarterfinal match vs. Spain, along with our takes the transfer sagas surrounding Bayern Munich stars Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Kimmich, plus why the new front office sure looks like they are creating a leadership void? Then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show, which is available on Spotify or below: