National soccer team: Despite the basket and question marks: Nagelsmann wants to win the group

A birthday present for an English substitute goalkeeper, two Dortmund returnees, but also an irritating rejection from a highly coveted top talent: Julian Nagelsmann wants a double win at the end of the year despite 18-year-old Paul Wanner’s unusual decision not to make his international debut the national soccer team.

“After reaching the quarter-finals early, we want to win the group in the Nations League – if possible in front of our fans in the home game in Freiburg,” said the national coach when announcing his last squad this year. The only newcomer in the 23-player squad for the games against Bosnia-Herzegovina on November 16th (8.45 p.m./RTL) in Freiburg and three days later in Budapest against Hungary (8.45 p.m./ZDF) is Stefan Ortega.

Manchester City’s number two was called up to the DFB team for the first time by Nagelsmann one day after her 32nd birthday – as number three behind Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nübel, who are again vying for the position as first deputy to the injured goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen may.

Return of two Dortmund players

A BVB duo is quite surprisingly back in the senior national team. Julian Brandt and Felix Nmecha are back for the first time in exactly a year, when the mood in the DFB team was fundamentally worse with the test defeats against Turkey (2:3) and in Austria (0:2).

Nmecha has “stabilized himself at BVB,” said Nagelsmann and is therefore “like Julian Brandt again after recent good performances.” The 24-year-old Nmecha is benefiting from the absence of Aleksandar Pavlovic, who is only back in running training after breaking his collarbone at FC Bayern Munich.

Good for Nagelsmann: The national coach can plan again with Bayern magician Jamal Musiala in top form as well as with Kai Havertz and the additional players Benjamin Henrichs and Robin Koch, who will play the October games in Bosnia-Herzegovina (2:1) and against the Netherlands (1 :0) missed due to injuries.

A win is certainly enough for first place

Thanks to the two victories, the national team had already made it into the quarter-finals of the Nations League. With another success, the group victory is also perfect, which would give a supposedly easier opponent in the first knockout round in March 2025.

“Getting into the Final Four for the first time is an important interim goal for us next year on the way to the 2026 World Cup. We have a strong squad, even if we have to make changes in some positions due to injuries,” said Nagelsmann.

The national coach may have to reschedule quickly again this time. In October, several actors canceled at short notice. Deniz Undav – double goalscorer against Bosnia-Herzegovina – suffered a strain on the back of his left thigh in VfB Stuttgart’s Champions League game against Atalanta Bergamo (0-2). According to the club, a league appearance against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday is “questionable, but not ruled out”.

Arsenal attacker Havertz suffered a head injury in the premier class against Inter Milan (0-1) – a concrete diagnosis is still pending.

In addition to Pavlovic, the injured Niclas Füllkrug, David Raum and Jamie Leweling are definitely missing. Dortmund’s Waldemar Anton, who was recently injured, was not nominated.

Leroy Sané from FC Bayern did not receive an invitation either, as Nagelsmann said he needed “more match practice and rhythm after his break”. Sané played his last international match to date in the European Championship quarter-final against Spain (1:2 nV). In the only defeat of the year, the Munich player was substituted at half-time and then underwent groin surgery.

Wanner decision pending

Teenager Wanner, whom Nagelsmann would have liked to have nominated and used for the first time, remains with the DFB U21 for the time being after a conversation with the national coach. The conversation did not go as Nagelsmann had hoped. The Bayern loanee to 1. FC Heidenheim has not yet decided whether she wants to play for Germany or Austria’s senior national team.