Just when you thought you were out, the German national team is pulling you back in.
With a resurgent Bayern Munich trying to make one last run at glory on the club scene, the German national team has risen from the ashes to show that it just might be a contender for the EUROs this summer.
After dispatching France on Saturday, the Germans outlasted the Dutch 2-1 in a thoroughly impressive victory.
Let’s not waste any more time, here are some quick hitters on the match:
- As always, let’s start with Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI:
- As expected, Nagelsmann kept things exactly the same. It seems as if the coach has found an XI he likes and wants to build off of it.
- Joey Veerman put the Netherlands up 1-0 in the 4th minute with a perfectly placed volley just outside the reach of Marc-André ter Stegen for a quick goal. Memphis Depay sent the ball in and took advantage of some lax defending from the Germans.
- Germany appeared stunned for a few minutes. Like a boxer, who had taken a massive shot, Germany somehow climbed up off of the canvas and got back to work. It took a bit, but the Germans woke up in a big way.
- Maximilian Mittelstädt rifled a shot into the net for a goal to tie the game. What a moment it was for the VfB Stuttgart man.
- There was a genuine energy and life in the match for Germany after that. The Dutch were game as well, which made the contest a fantastic one to watch.
- Ter Stegen was a bit shaky. In the 19th minute, he nearly gifted Netherlands another good chance by tipping a ball out into danger that he should have probably handled cleanly.
- Germany was playing with a purpose and with some fight and pride. It was refreshing to watch.
- Jamal Musiala had some slipping issues. Someone needs to check those cleats! Really, though, the whole surface seemed slick for everyone and Bavarian Grass Works should investigate.
- The Dutch were super-aggressive with their style of play. It was almost as if they were banking on Germany eventually cracking under the pressure…but it never happened.
- I don’t know how Germany can remove Florian Wirtz or Jamal Musiala from the lineup. If Nagelsmann truly is intent on starting Leroy Sané, he is going to have to send his captain, İlkay Gündoğan, to the bench or go striker-less.
- Germany looked organized and fierce…it was really impressive.
- If there is a fair critique of Germany’s play, it is that there tends to be a gap behind the midfield and in front of the backline that seems to be ripe for a team to eventually expose.
- Germany’s press was effective and disruptive.
- Matthijs de Ligt sent a header across the face of the goal that probably should have resulted in a score for the Dutch. Donyell Malen could not do enough to get out on the end of it before it was cleared.
- The Netherlands was a little more authoritative and controlling to start the second half, but Germany rallied.
- Mittelstädt has added some fight and physicality to his game, which is a welcome sight. He definitely won some fans and will likely have some Bayern Munich supporters calling on him as a replacement for Alphonso Davies, should the Canadian leave this summer.
- Depay should have given the Dutch the lead in the 61st minute.
- In the 68th minute, Chris Führich sent in a beautiful cross, but Kai Havertz could not get on the end of it. Führich was excellent and total difference maker for Germany.
- After some great passing, Musiala was on the end of a chance that should have been a goal. The youngster just could not place his shot where he likely wanted to. That would have been massive in the 77th minute.
- Musiala did looked cooked at that point in the game, though. Nagelsmann might have done well to take him out. Later, he would slip again in a very advantageous position, which would have resulted in a good chance. Aside of the slick field and his cleats not being able to get a grip, Musiala’s legs were probably weary.
- Thomas Müller almost won the game for Germany in the 83rd minute, but Bart Verbruggen made a fantastic save.
- In the 86th minute — after sustained pressure — Germany broke through to take the lead. A corner from Toni Kroos hit Niclas Füllkrug in the shoulder and it somehow got over the line enough to count for a score. What a crazy sequence after a dominant run of play for Germany.
- Wout Weghorst should have tied the game in extra time, but he mishit his attempt.
- Overall, what a two-game set from Germany. Julian Nagelsmann is proving his doubters wrong (I know I did not think he could be effective in this format) and he is drawing the best from the German squad. The energy, intensity, ferocity, and teamwork was just incredible to witness after the team was in the doldrums for so long. You really could not ask for much more at this point from the team or its coach.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast give them a look and/or a listen:
Chelsea FC let Jamal Musiala walk off campus once before, but it seems like the London club realized its mistake.
Now, Chelsea wants to bring its former charge back into the fold:
Chelsea continue to track the contract talks of Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala along with fellow Premier League giants Liverpool.
At 21 years old, Musiala is already one of the most talented midfielders in the game, but with a contract that expires in 2026, a window of opportunity is potentially opening for him to be taken away from the Bundesliga side.
Bayern, as well as Chelsea and Liverpool, are acutely aware of this and working to tie him down to a new contract.
If Chelsea is serious about Musiala, it could appeal to the player to return “home” and lead the club back to some sort of glory. Could something like that convince the youngster to make the move back to London?
Harry Kane captains the English national team, but is not exactly targeting the armband at Bayern Munich to add to his collection.
That is not to say that Kane would shy away from the duty, but he says those decision happen organically.
“It just happens. We have a few leaders in the team — it depends on the coach and the club. If there’s a game where our captains are unavailable, I would be proud to wear the armband for this club. But I’m not thinking about that at the moment. I’m always the same player, regardless of whether I’m captain or not. I train, speak and play the same way. And that won’t change,” Kane said.
An interesting point brought by our own RLD is that Bayern Munich actually has been tied to three captains for the Three Lions — Kane, Kyle Walker, and Declan Rice. That appears to be the captain pecking order for England, which came to light with the injuries to Kane and Walker.
Bayern Munich will be back in action later this on the field, but there is much going on in the boardroom these days.
While all of that is going on, the German national team is looking like they could potentially have something cooking. Therefore, we have much to talk about.
This is what we have on tap for this episode:
- After some times to process it all, more thoughts on Germany’s 2-0 win over France and why it seems like Julian Nagelsmann could be close to unlocking something with this German side.
- Reports are breaking that Bayern Munich wants an answer from Alphonso Davies by next week. Will the Canadian take the best-and-final offer from the Bavarians or will he set sights on a move this summer…maybe to Real Madrid?
- One year after Nagelsmann was unceremoniously sacked at Bayern Munich, the fallout is still being felt. Let’s discuss where things stand and how much longer that move might affect the club.
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain could be competing for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen:
Chelsea are still leading the race to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, whose price tag has been set at £111m. Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on the 25-year-old.
Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer says that the club is going to take its time during its coaching search.
“Now we have some time to look around, and that’s what we’re going to do. We have now changed three coaches within a not too long period of time. We want to work with a coach in the long term. We will think about and analyze this very carefully — and hopefully get the right one. We want to find a coach in calm, and when we have found him, we will announce it,” Hainer said.
Bayern Munich can’t catch a break.
Even during the international break, the Bavarians are feeling the wrath of the injury gods. Even aside of that, though, Max Eberl seems to have ramped up his planning for the 2024/25 campaign, so there is a lot going on.
Why waste any more time, let’s get to it. Here is what we have on tap for this episode:
- Bodies are dropping at Germany’s national team camp — and at Bayern Munich. Let’s talk about the impact of Manuel Neuer’s latest ailment, Sacha Boey’s injury, and what this might mean for the rest of the club season.
- Could Bayern Munich bring Julian Nagelsmann back as its coach?
- Some final thoughts on the German national team’s upcoming slate.
- Bayern Munich reportedly made its best-and-final offer to Alphonso Davies, which tops out at €13 million per season. Is that enough? Will Real Madrid top that?
- Enough with these Ronald Araújo rumors.
- Why are Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka so hated? How real is it that both will leave this summer?
- Breaking down another hilarious episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Bayern Munich executive Max Eberl knows that the club can’t always spend big — and he does not want to get into that habit. However, the “new guy” will also not shy away from such a move if it is right for the moment.
“Bayern Munich can’t do that all the time. Now Harry Kane has proven his worth for Bayern, but we can’t make such transfers all the time and maybe we don’t even want to. We want to build a team, development and success, that’s really what we need to achieve here. And yet, there are very, very good players who maybe don’t cost 100 million, who don’t cost 80 million. We have to find this mix,” Eberl said. “We simply have to build a good team with our financial means, which I then look at and which Mr. Dreesen and Mr. Diederich then give me. Mathys Tel, Aleksandar Pavlović, great, the way he plays the games, with self-confidence at the age of 19, Jamal Musiala – we have these players and we would like to have more of them.”
Real Madrid has liked what it has seen from Toni Kroos this season and wants the 34-year-old to ink a new deal:
Real Madrid are reportedly hoping to keep Toni Kroos at the club for another season. Despite his age and the rise of Real’s young midfielders such as Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, Kroos has still made 38 appearances this season, although his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
And, according to Fabrizio Romano, Real would like to extend that deal, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side confident about their prospects of doing so.
The German national team had not really fired on all cylinders for, well, years.
With deflating performance after deflating performance, there was very little reason for hope…until now!
While it is just one match, the Germans were able to outgun France 2-0 for a convincing away win. Clearly, there was a lot to talk about and with Jack Laushway making his Bavarian Podcast Works debut to help break this one down, we went all-in!
This is what we have on tap for this episode:
- A look at Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI and how those players performed.
- A rundown of the scoring and subs.
- Some thoughts on Germany’s blazing start to the match and that laser of a goal from Florian Wirtz.
- Kai Havertz proved he up to the task after an iffy first half (with some major help from Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala).
- Joshua Kimmich vs. Kylian Mbappé.
- Who was impactful and who might not have turned in their best effort.
- Some final thoughts on the impressive victory (is this a cause for hope?) and why this was incredibly important to Nagelsmann and the players alike.
Leroy Sané seems pretty set on a contract extension with Bayern Munich, but there is some thought that Manchester City could be seeking to bring back its old charge:
Bayern Munich and Germany star Leroy Sane has been linked with a potential return to Manchester City this summer, four years after quitting the club for the Bundesliga.
The 28-year-old left Manchester City for Bayern Munich in a £54.8 million move in July 2020, leaving the Etihad Stadium after four years, having initially moved to the Premier League for £37 million from Schalke.
Bayern Munich and Germany star Leroy Sane has been linked with a potential return to Manchester City this summer, four years after quitting the club for the Bundesliga.
The 28-year-old left Manchester City for Bayern Munich in a £54.8 million move in July 2020, leaving the Etihad Stadium after four years, having initially moved to the Premier League for £37 million from Schalke.
The forward made 135 appearances and won seven trophies with the Sky Blues, but featured just twice during his final campaign at Manchester City after suffering an ACL injury against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield.
According to the information of Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo’ on X, the 28-year-old is interested in a potential return to the Etihad Stadium this summer, with the forward wanting to ‘come home’ after four years in Germany.
The forward is the third Bayern Munich star to be linked with a move to east Manchester ahead of the new season, with both Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala widely reported as possible targets.
Hold on…what? Here is the original tweet:
Lots of potential business between City and @FCBayernEN this summer. Kimmich, Musiala, Cancelo. But one to keep an interesting eye on…Leroy Sane wants to come “home”. Would you? Would Pep?
— The Real Tolmie’s Hairdoo (@RealTolmie) March 24, 2024
Well…maybe the most recent reports from Germany linking the winger to a contract extension in Germany are a little more concrete?
Anyway, it is food for thought if the negotiations go south for whatever reason between Sané and Bayern.
Bayern Munich has been linked to Ronald Araújo for months, but it seems like FC Barcelona would like to extend his deal:
It is no secret that Barcelona want to assure Ronald Araujo’s continuity beyond his ongoing contract. The 25-year-old Uruguayan, who is a subject of interest for Bayern Munich, has a contract with Barcelona until 2026 and the team from from Catalonia wants to resolve the entire matter before the end of the season.
Leading up to the story, a report from Mundo Deportivo has affirmed that there is a growing sense of optimism within the team that Araujo will extend his contract sooner rather than later. Araujo stands as a pillar of Barcelona, and the club is keen on maintaining this status for the foreseeable future. Disregarding Bayern Munich’s €90 million offer, which was turned down earlier this year, the Uruguayan is viewed as a vital asset to Barcelona’s sporting ambitions.
Consequently, negotiations to extend his current contract beyond 2026 rank high on the agenda of the club’s top brass.
