Germany clinched first place in Group 3A of the UEFA Nations League by demolishing Bosnia and Herzegovina, 7-0. Six different Germany players contributed to the three first half goals and then Florian Wirtz delivered a second half brace. Leroy Sané subbed in for Jamal Musiala and quickly added a breakaway goal to score his first international goal in 14 months.
In the 73rd minute, Joshua Kimmich was uncharacteristically subbed off after being treated for an ankle injury. Hopefully it turns out to be a precaution, but Bayern Munich fans will be holding their breath as they wait on the pending medical results.
Jersey Swap: Ermedin Demirović
From the opening whistle, the Bosnians were completely checked out. Demirović held his own, completing 15 of 16 passes, winning nine of 16 ground duels, and drawing two fouls. With the Bosnians officially finishing dead last in the group, Demirović will look forward to some rest before returning to Stuttgart.
Der Kaiser: Antonio Rüdiger
Rüdiger turned in another dominating performance, winning four ground duels, his only aerial duel, and avoiding any costly fouls. His 95% passing accuracy ensured that the Bosnians didn’t get any cheap opportunities from the German back line.
Oliver Baumann looked comfortable between the pipes and there were very few breakdowns in communication. The German defense has only conceded three goals during the group stage and will look to build on that chemistry.
Der Fußballgott: Jamal Musiala
Robert Andrich and Pascal Groß played their respective roles, but Musiala was once again the creative force within the midfield. Musiala connected on 90% of his passes and won eight out of his 11 ground duels, both insane stats for such an aggressive dribbler.
Once again, Musiala made his case to be the next high flying number nine for club and country by scoring another header. All jokes aside, the six-foot phenom continued his fantastic, fearless form and will soon be rewarded with a rich contract extension at Bayern.
Der Bomber: Kai Havertz
Wherever Julian Nagelsmann goes after the 2026 World Cup, Havertz needs to demand a transfer to that club. Nagelsmann recognizes that Havertz is best used as a number ten surrounded by creative teammates. On his goal in the 37th minute, Havertz drove the break, correctly laid the ball off, and then made the proper run for a right footed tap-in.
Often knocked for his lack of aggression and consistency, his talents are being maximized with the German national team. He’ll never be a complete player but he can be a solid contributor for Nagelsmann as World Cup qualifying kicks into gear next year.
Bonus shout out to Tim Kleindienst for taking on Nagelsmann’s press conference challenge to be lazier and stay high in the attack. The result was Kleindienst scoring his first two international goals.
Meister of the Match: Florian Wirtz
Wirtz had a solid first half but didn’t separate himself from the pack until his free kick in the 50th minute. Wirtz added a freebie in the 57th minute before Nagelsmann decided he had tortured the opponent enough for one day.
Wirtz’s first goal requires a deeper dive. The high degree of difficult was only exceeded by the execution. To the average fan, it looked like he hit it straight at the dumbfounded goalkeeper, St. Pauli’s Nikola Vasilj. To the trained eye, the lack of rotation on the shot makes the flight path completely unpredictable. This is the kind of goal that can propel Wirtz to the godlike status currently reserved only for Messi and Ronaldo.
