Aura shattered
Who says nobody cares about the Nations League? From the moment the Dutch national anthem began to play, the Johan Cruyff Arena roared to life. Just like that this was not the exuberant home team of EURO 2024, nor the dominating side that smashed Hungary 5-0 last weekend — but the second-most confident in a hostile stadium.
This Netherlands side proved its gumption from the off. Even before AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders landed a shocking opening blow in the 2nd minute, the Dutch press had Germany reeling — backing itself into corners in build-up, forced into desperate clearances and dicey cross-field passes in defense. Any overall team strength deficits the Dutch might have had, they more than made up for it with initiative and physicality.
By halftime, Joshua Kimmich was sporting a torn shirt collar and Deniz Undav had a cotton stuffed in his nose.
The glass half full view says this was good practice for Germany — who have faced this horror show too many times before, having to battle back down 1-0 against determined opposition. The resilience the Germans displayed in fighting back — to take a 2-1 lead, only to succumb to a thoroughly deserved second concession after waves of Dutch pressure to start the second half — is at least somewhat reassuring.
The pessimist’s takeaway, though, is that Germany left its first post-EUROs matchup against top-level competition with more questions than answers.
Defense in the spotlight
Both teams hauled off a center-back at half-time, and deservingly. Ronald Koeman substituted former Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt after a dreadful display and Julian Nagelsmann removed current Bayern transfer target Jonathan Tah after, well:
It is hard to immediately put a finger on what went wrong for the German defense. Tah and center-back partner Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) were seemingly dragged out of position at will by the Netherlands, who played vertically or in transition with far too much ease. Germany’s offensive aggression frequently came back to bite, with less-than-pacy Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen) — nominally the more defensive midfielder in the new double pivot — getting caught upfield and having to scamper fruitlessly after Dutch ball-carriers on multiple occasions.
But tactics aside, it was simply not a promising display. Tah and Schlotterbeck both lapsed in concentration in key moments — at one point Tah seeming to fall asleep while tracking Dutch forward Brian Brobbery in transition, allowing the latter free space to receive in the German box — and this is not new for either of them.
Manuel Neuer’s absence is also being felt. FC Barcelona No. 1 Marc-André ter Stegen is a fine shot-stopper in his own right, but Neuer brought a swagger — especially to build-up — that is all but gone now. Germany needs at least solidity at the back. Perhaps we’ll be seeing more of Waldemar Anton in the future.
Midfield MIA
Nagelsmann’s most notable substitutions came midway through the second half, when he replaced his entire midfield pivot — Andrich and Pascal Groẞ (BVB) making way for Emre Can and Aleksandar Pavlović.
Pavlović, especially, was a difference-maker, injecting much-needed dynamism into the German engine room. It is evident the Bayern youngster has been studying club teammate Joshua Kimmich, developing an eye for dangerous passes over the top. Pavlović showed bravery going into challenges as well, spurring a tempo increase to Germany’s game as exemplified by the two double-chances he made shortly before the 70th minute — slipping Kai Havertz in near goal before winning the ball back deep in midfield minutes later and driving forward once more.
With Andrich and Groß starting, Germany looked stilted today. The pivots were left lobbing the ball over to the wings for crosses into no-man’s land — against the likes of Virgil van Dijk? — while Germany’s best passers, Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz, were shunted and suffocated towards the sidelines and tight spaces. It just might be time for Pavlović to claim a starting spot in the midfield.
A new #13 rises
Thomas Müller has retired but Germany has found a new goal scorer for the #13 jersey. VfB Stuttgart dynamo Deniz Undav earned the start in place of injured striker Niclas Füllkrug (West Ham United) and, though it took him time to settle in, supplied a sublime goal and assist. The 28-year-old with the slick first touch surely has a claim to be Germany’s most dangerous player of the day and was a surprising substitution, given his contributions.
That Undav found the back of the net — and Arsenal FC’s Kai Havertz did not — will do nothing to ease the conversations around Germany’s best striker options.
Bonus: Take a bow, Ryan Gravenberch
The former Bayern man endured a lousy single year in Bavaria back when Julian Nagelsmann was still head coach (up to March, anyway). But he’s come a long way in the seasons since. Now 22, the Liverpool man is starting games for club and country — and absolutely dazzled with some of the prettiest passes of the match, including that opening assist.
From a Bayern perspective, Gravenberch joins what is getting to be a long list of recent investments in young players — also De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui (both Manchester United) — who transferred away before having the chance to truly blossom for the Bavarians. It is good to see him finding his feet.
