Manuel Neuer
Is now the 17th player and the first goalkeeper in German football history with 100 international matches. So step through a line of his teammates before the start of the game – but in which there were two men with even more games. Namely Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos with 102 each. But honor where honor is due, there were phases (keyword: metatarsus) and it was not at all self-evident that Neuer would ever reach this mark and then with a 7: 1 of all things … Conceded a goal in the anniversary game that would have annoyed him in the other 99 games. Wishes to make 107 international matches this summer.
Antonio Rudiger
Has had a more than astonishing six-month career: Was bench press at Chelsea in the fall and personified defensive problem for the national team. Is now the Champions League winner and the solution to many of the national team’s defensive problems. Sometimes it goes that fast in football. Against Latvia (which is well behind the Faroe Islands in the world rankings) not challenged on the defensive – got on really well with Robin Gosens.
Mats Hummels
Very nice outside foot pass over the whole field to Serge Gnabry before the 5: 0, who corresponds wonderfully with his Instagram pseudonym (@ outside man15). Played in the middle of the back three and the chances are pretty good that he will be there against France – with Rüdiger at his side when Kylian Mbappé comes.
Matthias Ginter
The personified constancy. Always play – like every minute in the Bundesliga. Harmonized shockingly smoothly with Joshua Kimmich on the right, when you consider that the two have never played together like this before. Also a conceivable tournament combo.
Robin Gosens
If you throw Robin Gosens into his element, then he also plays like Robin Gosens. Acts at Atlanta Bergamo as the left wing runner in a chain of three and regularly brings the club into the Champions League. It is difficult for him without defensive protection, but if you put an Antonio Rüdiger in the back – then he scores a goal himself (1-0, his first international goal), he prepares a goal (3-0 by Thomas Müller) and he had a few other good actions too. Can show against France that he can do it one size bigger.
Joshua Kimmich
Can just be too much. For example, he is very ambitious, has a strong will and always wants to win. And he’s also world-class both as a sixth and as a right-back. Maybe Joachim Löw has now found the perfect solution for him by simply letting him play both at once as the right defender of a back three – just like Philipp Lahm always did (but in the back four). Was that why Löw explicitly compared the two before the game? With Lahm in the back right, Germany became world champions, with Kimmich in the back right, the FC Bayern Champions League winner. But that would be too much interpretation. Latvia is not France.
llkay Gündogan
Has a very frustrating Champions League final in his bones and will therefore be particularly happy about his goal to make it 2-0 – a tight shot from a distance after a Latvian ricocheted Gündogan’s pass. So prepared his own goal but has a reputation to lose as Manchester City’s top scorer last season (yes, really).
Toni Kroos
Recovered from his Covid infection and back in the center of the game. Was referred to as a shaky candidate behind closed doors (depending on the case also without his hand held in front of him) – but this was never the case with the decisive man (Löw). If this system should be the EM system, he has to make sure that he gets the center tight together with the more offensive Gündogan, which was spectacularly unsuccessful in the 0: 6 against Spain. Under no circumstances should he lose a ball there (beware of Kanté!) – but he never does that anyway. Typical long Kroos pass before the 4-0 to Müller, which is also wonderfully suitable as a recipient of Kroos passes.
Kai Havertz
There are increasing signs that Kai Havertz has played his way past Leroy Sané into the starting XI in the past few weeks. Indicator 1: His goal in the Champions League final. Indication 2: His preparation to 1-0 against Latvia, when he let his opponent get out with a minimal movement, which he also regularly does with non-Latvians. Indication 3: His goal to 4-0 (photo), where he did the same with two Latvians. That he is technically possibly the best German national player is also an indication, but it has been known for a long time.
Thomas Müller
Always considered a seismograph for a team because it is very difficult to pretend. When Thomas Müller is in a good mood, the mood in the team is usually really not that bad. If you go after that, at least one very happy DFB team will play against France. Against Latvia, as always busy, made his 39th international goal and put the goal on Leroy Sané to make it 7-1. A good mood game.
Serge Gnabry
He scored 5-0 after a pass from Mats Hummels, who was looking for Erling Haaland on the field, couldn’t find him and then took Gnabry. Strong acceptance, strong conclusion (photo). Compared to his attacking partners in the national team, he has the big advantage that he usually takes the direct route to the goal. A good trick. Perhaps because of that, set with the national coach.
Substitute players
Everyone looked up Leroy Sané and Timo Wernerbecause they weren’t in the starting line-up and that in the last test … but at least both of them met after being substituted on: Werner after good preparatory work by Kimmich, Sané after Müller-Pass. It also came Emre Can, Christian Günter, Niklas Sule and Jamal Musiala. Only Jonas Hofmann, Florian Neuhaus, Kevin Volland and Robin Koch remained on the bench as field players.
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