Germany and Italy are preparing to square off…
Former Bayern Munich coach and current German national team boss Julian Nagelsmann had a lot to run through during his pregame press conference before his squad meets Italy in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals.
One of the hottest topics surrounding the team is the meteoric rise of midfielder Leon Goretzka, who has gone from afterthought to…starter? At least that is what some reports are stating.
“The decisive factor for outfield players is their performance and current ability, and whether they fit with what we’re trying to achieve. Since Vincent Kompany arrived, Leon has also once again become highly valued at Bayern. In the end, performance was the deciding factor. He’s a good, experienced Bundesliga player, which is why he’s here,” Nagelsmann said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “It’s about a good mix of players who have earned a regular place in the squad, who are always there, and who are solid players. We have four midfielders, plus Pavlo (Aleksandar Pavlović), who unfortunately isn’t with us at the moment.
“Angelo (Stiller) is in good form, and Pascal Groß is also doing well after a difficult first half of the season with BVB because he’s playing a bit more offensively. My plan is to always have the two best midfielders together on the pitch.”
As for Goretzka’s Bayern Munich teammate Joshua Kimmich, Nagelsmann said that the team captain will remain Germany’s right-back.
“He’ll stay at right-back. We assessed the EUROs and the matches afterwards, and he was the best right-back. Of course, you always consider alternatives, and he’s also a player who could move into midfield, but for that, we need a player who can perform the right-back duties better than Josh. He’s the best we have and the most reliable in the position,” Nagelsmann noted.
At goalkeeper, Nagelsmann talked through his decision to select Oliver Baumann over Alexander Nübel.
“Alex handled the decision very professionally, which I found very, very positive. In the end, it was a very close call. It wasn’t exactly clear, but we have to make it. Both are having a good season, both are at a good, consistent level,” Nagelsmann said. “Oli is a bit more consistent at this level. We told both of them that it was for these two games because we also have a top goalkeeper in Marc, and then we’ll make a new decision after these games.”
With the absence of Florian Wirtz and the lack of a primary threat in the attack, Nagelsmann indicated that he is not going to put too much pressure on Jamal Musiala.
“I’m not giving him any more responsibility than usual. The past few weeks haven’t been easy for him either. When you sign a new contract, expectations automatically rise. He’s supposed to play how he always plays, he’s supposed to be the ‘street footballer’ he is, but even with Kai (Havertz) and Flo (Wirtz) out, he has no more responsibility than usual,” said Nagelsmann.
Finally, Nagelsmann is expecting to feel at least a little bit at home at San Siro — an estimated 3,500 German national teams fans are expected to travel to Italy for the match.
“It’s a huge compliment to the team. They’ve established a good connection with the fans again. I interpret it that way, and I think both away and home games have their appeal. But if we can rely on 3,500 fans for the away game, that helps a lot,” said Nagelsmann. “It’s important that all players know what they have to do. It will be very difficult to be successful tomorrow. It’s important that we defend well and that we have a good mix between defense and attack. In some games, that hasn’t been the case, and that’s our plan for tomorrow. And we’ll try to do the same on Sunday in Dortmund.”
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Germany’s first leg match against Italy in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals? Awesome, then check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
Also, 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, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
