Bayern Munich is out of sight for a few weeks as Germany takes the stage. The international break has begun and Germany are playing in the Nations League. This is a crucial period as it is the first tournament after the World Cup, but also the first tournament with manager Jürgen Klopp at the helm. The manager has certainly made his presence seen, with several interesting choices and snubs — most notably, Deniz Undav and Oliver Baumann, both of whom who had been regulars under Julian Nagelsmann.
Neither side was guaranteed to put out their best performances — they were both welcoming new managers and potentially lots of changes, but a Klopp vs. Xavi showdown was worth watching anyway. What ensued was a lot of drama, so here are the standout performers from tonight’s game.
Jersey Swap: Cody Gakpo
Karim Adeyemi was a strong contender for the Swap.
But we give credit where it is due and the honors go to the Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo, who changed the game entirely. Arguably, Ruben van Bommel is just as deserving, but Gakpo was the only player out there capable of finishing when the team needed it. Though Max Meerdink and Denzel Dumfries created tons of opportunities, they were all mostly wasted. This is where the 27-year-old made all the difference.
In the 92nd minute, he scored the equalizer assisted by Van Bommel, who had just been subbed on. Van Bommel produced a phenomenal cross that then led to the goal. There was not shortage of attacking power from the Dutch, especially in the second half, but only one person could finish, and get the ball past Marc-André ter Stegen and that was Gakpo.
Der Kaiser: Jonathan Tah
Defensively, this was hardly Germany’s best. Nico Schlotterbeck looked terribly shaky and got progressively worse as the pressure piled on him. With his passing and one-on-one defending reaching an all-time low this game, the onus shifted to Jonathan Tah to make matters better.
Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey was exceptionally well-handled by Tah. Instead of getting baited into abandoning his position, Tah patiently held his position and handled the physical battles when they came to him. This was important because Schlotterbeck is not positionally stable and having both the centre-backs leave their places to wander is a disaster waiting to happen.
Tah’s performance was not groundbreaking, but rather a controlled game from a senior player, who was reliable against a physically aggressive Netherlands attack.
Der Fussballgott: Joshua Kimmich
Kimmich’s role in this setup was to keep a brand-new squad from falling apart, and he did just that. Not to be the best midfielder on there, controlling the game, but just be the stable player who drops by and helps everyone else.
While Nmecha progressed, Kimmich dropped back defensively to help in build-up and cover. He was not playing line-breaking pass one after the other and drastically changing the game. While Kimmich provided the much-needed stability as Nmecha progressed he was still grossly outnumbered. The structure he had helped set up had been stretched wide by the Netherlands midfielders and there was not much to do beyond what he had already done. He did not have much of a role in controlling the game’s tempo either.
What he did best, however, was his defensive positioning — making sure the centre was not exposed and preventing Netherlands from just walking straight in. That, unfortunately, was the best Germany could come up with tonight.
Der Bomber: Felix Nmecha
Technically, Karim Adeyemi should get Der Bomber… for absolutely bombing that game. Thank you, next.
Nmecha is a midfielder, but was surprisingly the only German player who showed any real attacking prowess. He salvaged Adeyemi’s blocked shot early in the game, reacted almost instantly and turned the follow-up into Germany’s goal.
The 25-year-old was the ball-carrying midfielder, landing up in the edge of the box more often than most. The verticality he brought was much needed — pushing past the Dutch midfielders to create and also being there to salvage missed chances. The second half was certainly one to forget, as the game became increasingly mediocre from Nmecha and every other player. Defensively, there was only so much he could do before Germany were stretched out by the Dutch.
When the attack fell flat, Nmecha did all the work that mattered. And that is why he gets Der Bomber.
Meister of the Match: Marc-André ter Stegen
Marc-André ter Stegen made nine saves and prevented 1.85 xG. Let that sink in.
However, it was not all great from the very start. Ter Stegen had a very shaky first half — bad distribution, questionable with crosses and as a whole, a very poor performance. However, when the pressure built, he built the wall that held it.
Netherlands finished with 22 shots, 10 on target and 3.12 xG, while Germany had only two shots on target. Yet, both teams only had a goal each. Ter Stegen made a save from nearly every Dutch player — notably, one from Dumfries, two from Meerdink and one from Van Bommel. With Meerdink, the keeper was thoroughly tested with multiple shots and rebounds, and rose to the occasion to be at his best.
Germany’s defense barely survived the game and Ter Stegen was the only reason why they did — even with a performance that was actually less than convincing in the first half.
What do you think about the awards? Who else do you think deserved a shout? Let us know in the comments!
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