A match full of debuts, dominance and a new star on the horizon for the German national team.
These are the players who stood out.
Jersey Swap: Stefan de Vrij
Stefan de Vrij donned the captain’s armband for the Netherlands in the absence of the suspended Virgil van Dijk.
With big shoes to fill, De Vrij certainly didn’t disappoint, flaunting his passing ability as well as his defensive discipline by playing Serge Gnabry offside in the 2nd minute — ultimately denying Jamie Leweling his debut goal for Germany.
De Vrij was a solid rock at the back and despite the lack of a clean sheet, his side would surely have conceded more goals had it not been for him.
Der Kaiser: Maximilian Mittelstädt
David Raum likely out for the remainder of 2024? Maximilian Mittelstädt: “Hold my beer.”
The Stuttgart left-back played his role to perfection. A constant outlet for the German attack down the left flank, solid link-up play and an astute defensive display, Mittelstädt is the well-rounded left-back Germany have been looking for for years.
The 27-year-old was unlucky to walk away without a goal tonight after fine setups from club teammate, Jamie Leweling, in the 11th minute and 83rd minute. However, a shot straight at Dutch Keeper, Bart Verbruggen and a last ditch block unfortunately left Mittelstädt goalless.
Goal or no goal, Germany finally have a capable left-back.
Fußballgott: Aleksander Pavlović
It was a rather quiet game in Germany’s new look midfield trio of Aleksander Pavlović, Angelo Stiller and Florian Wirtz. Nevertheless, it was Bayern Munich’s very own academy grown midfield gem, Pavlović who stood out above the rest.
The Bayern academy graduate is growing from strength to strength not just at club level, but at international level too. The 20-year-old’s talent is undeniable, and Pavlović has proved himself to be a well-rounded player and crucial to Germany’s midfield dominance against Liverpool’s revelation, Ryan Gravenberch.
Pavlović is still criminally underrated on the international scene but don’t be surprised if you start hearing his name more frequently among the discussion of Europe’s top talents.
Der Bomber: Tim Kleindienst
What a rise Tim Kleindienst has had.
After helping a newly promoted Heidenheim side to an 8th place finish last season, the six-foot-four striker earned a move to Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he has scored three goals in six Bundesliga appearances. This was enough to get Kleindienst his first start for the German national team, and he did not disappoint.
Sure, he didn’t manage to score a goal but his general and hold up play allowed Germany to flourish in attack. In the absence of Niclas Füllkrug and Kai Havertz, Tim Kleindienst and Deniz Undav seem more than capable of leading the line.
Depth in striker? When last in the German national team?
Meister of the Match: Jamie Leweling
Jamie Leweling was absolutely electric.
The 23-year-old was denied a second-minute goal on his debut for the national team after Gnabry was caught offside in the lead up to the goal.
Leweling would, however, not be discouraged, showing off his blistering pace and dribbling ability to cause the Dutch defence all sorts of headaches.
After 64 minutes, the Stuttgart man would finally be rewarded for his heroic display, smashing a shot from the centre of the box into the top right corner to secure a goal on his debut for Germany.
Germany’s list of young talent seems to be growing by the day, and if you haven’t already, be sure to add a certain Jamie Leweling to that list.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis from Germany’s 1-0 victory over the Netherlands? Awesome, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show where our Jack Lauschway breaks down the match. Jack gives you all the analysis you need from the game, along with where the German national team might be headed. You can get the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, and below:
Be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @bfwinnn, @IredahlMarcus, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
