Kroos ‘sweetens’ endless debate

The return of Toni Kroos, together with victories over France (0-2) and the Netherlands (2-1), lifted the Germans’ spirits. “Manschaft” arose from reaching the group stage of two world championships in a row (2018 and 2022) and two disappointing defeats from Spain (6-0) and Japan (4-1), which First they sped up the farewell to Lev, and then to Flick.

Suddenly, with the return of the Madrid player, all the pieces seemed to fit together. The exhibition game against Scotland (5-1) in the opening of Euro 2024 caused euphoria: Kroos staged the play, Gundogan came up with the idea, Musiala and Wirtz went for it…

They won pragmatically against Hungary (2-0), but they saw their path and hoped for it against Switzerland (1-1). earn a point – Fullkrug scored in the 92nd minute – and advance to the second round as Group A leaders.

“Manshaft” is a roller with cracks. He dominates the ball, but he struggles to complete another pass and when he does, he doesn’t finish the play all the way. “We dominated from the start. The criticism we can make is that we haven’t killed the game yet. We’ve missed too many opportunities.” Rudiger lamented after beating Denmark (2-0) in the round of 16.

Defensively he misses chances relatively easilyThe pressure from above is not suffocating, and once that first line is broken, the team will split. It is difficult for him to retreat.

In general, there are many open debates in Germany. The goalkeeping was handled well by Neuer, who at 38 has established himself as one of the Euro’s goalkeepers. He had a great hand against Hungary on Szoboszlá’s direct free-kick, avoided Switzerland’s second, saved from Xhaka, and instantly made it 0-1 to Denmark, saving a one-on-one with Høylund.

The right side of defense with Kimmich and Rüdiger seems untouchable. The Bayern player, while not at his best, offers plenty of solutions inside and out thanks to the glove he holds on the right. The Madrid player is a “wall”. In the match against Denmark he looked like an “MVP” and made 13 rebounds!

However, there may be changes on the left side. Schlotterbeck, who joined the team due to Tach’s suspension, was convinced, especially with the ball, and could stay. His assist made it 2-0 for Musialo. Raum, more energetic, also seemed to have the better of Mittelstadt: He assisted Füllkrug against Switzerland and scored a penalty against Denmark.

The double pivot is bipolar. Andric acts as the “anchor”. He is responsible for destruction, although he is not convincing. In fact, Emre Can gains weight, coming to the bench. Kroos, who starts the game almost as a left-sided centre-back, is responsible for the acceleration, the pause… Everything goes through him: there’s no better way to say it: he’s the one who touches the most balls, the one who makes the most passes… and the one who filters the most in the final third.

This is where the German “agitators” appear. Gundogan acts as both a shuttler and a second striker. He reaches between the lines to essentially “free” Musiala and Wirtz (Sane). Jamal, the top scorer with three goals, steps on the gas pedal. His change of pace is brutal. Raum’s entry allows him to play inside and “shorten” the route to the goal. Wirtz, in turn, is not feeling very well.. So Nagelsmann called on Sane in search of another point of “dizziness”.

Above is a great discussion. Havertz remains number 9 despite his two goals coming from penalties.Fans, however, prefer the strength of the Füllkrug.. He’s no Müller from Torpedo, but he fits the profile of a German “panzerist” who lived his entire life in a German tank.

This is Germany with its advantages and disadvantages.In short, this is what awaits Spain.