Germany was banged up and broken, but it still was able to outlast Bosnia and Herzegovina for a 2-1 victory in UEFA Nations League action.
Let’s get to it….
There was a lack of chemistry, but don’t panic
Germany literally cobbled together a lineup of any have-decent, non-injured players it could find and it was good enough.
The squad controlled play and possession, but had trouble finding the right amout of synchronicity to dominate the scoreboard like it was dominating the possession clock. In the end, Julian Nagelsmann just wanted to lean on Florian Wirtz to be the leader of the group and create offense, which the Bayer Leverkusen man fully embraced.
Deniz Undav is proving he deserves more time
Undav was a forgotten man during the EURO 2024 competition, but in the last two games, he has three goals and is versatile enough that he can slide into the No. 9 or No. 10 role.
The VfB Stuttgart man is on a two-season tear now and not really showing many signs of slowing down. Playing for a Stuttgart side, which lost a lot of talent, Undav is getting a lot more attention placed on him — which could make him battle-tested for the rigors that lie ahead with the German national team.
Aleksandar Pavlović will help the midfield
Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović was a late scratch due to a calf issue or a knee issue depending on which report you believe (he has NO LUCK with the German national team…watch out for locusts to attack him in November). That said, when he does come back, he will make a big improvement on the central midfield.
Pascal Groß and Robert Andrich were fine, but Pavlović’s passing and vision will be a huge upgrade, which should bolster the attack even more.
If the goal was to learn about Alexander Nübel’s mettle, this did not accomplish anything
Bayern Munich loanee Alexander Nübel had been waiting for this moment his entire life — a chance to lead the the German national team. Unfortunately for the goalkeeper, he could have bought a ticket and been just about as active as he was in between the sticks.
Credited with zero saves and allowing one goal, Nübel did not get tested much at all (nor did the backline really, for what it is worth). Both the goalkeeper and defenders will need to start to show some progress ahead of the World Cup. There is a way to go, but the attack seems like it will be extremely dangerous…now the rest of the squad needs to catch up.
