European Championship round of sixteen - Dortmund myth: Füllkrug relies on "white wall"
At the question of whether it's Niclas Füllkrug or Kai Havertz for the team, Julian Nagelsmann commented, "I have made my decision but I won't say it," the German national team coach replied 26 hours before the EURO-16 match against Denmark.
Nagelsmann will not be influenced by fan wishes or surveys regarding the team's lineup for the knockout phase. "I didn't follow the discussion at all. We are the coaching team - and we decide, Saturday evening, 9 p.m.," Nagelsmann said.
Local hero Füllkrug is invoking the myth of the Dortmund Wall, even though it will look different in color for the EURO-16 National Team appearance. "I hope we can make the Yellow Wall white," announced local hero Füllkrug before his home game in Dortmund (live on ZDF and MagentaTV). The DFB team places even more emphasis on the home advantage in the knockout phase - and even more so on the special home crowd factor.
Midfielder Robert Andrich, who stood out with his platinum-colored hair the day before the game, said, "It's going to be a game with an incredibly electric atmosphere. We want to advance to the next round."
DFB-Team wanted to play as group leaders in Dortmund, "no matter who," as DFB sports director Rudi Völler reported. "Now it's knockout system, now it counts. We want to make it to the quarterfinals," Völler announced.
Rüdiger ready: First Adidas shoes, then football shoes
Before the DFB troop traveled to the tournament location for the first time by plane from Nuremberg, the last details of the Denmark match plan were being worked on in Herzogenaurach. However, the TV cameras and photo objectives were mainly focused on one man during the final training: Antonio Rüdiger. The team captain was training without a bandage on his right thigh and without any noticeable problems. "The training was good," Nagelsmann reported in Dortmund that evening. If nothing negative happens overnight, Rüdiger will be able to play. "He looks fit," the national team coach said.
Slotterbeck armed: "We know something"
Until the press conference in Dortmund, Nagelsmann had been secretly working on tactics and personnel for the task against Denmark. "We know how we want to play against Denmark," reported Nico Schlotterbeck. He will replace the suspended Jonathan Tah in central defense. The backup player will be Rüdiger. EM newcomer Waldemar Anton will have to wait a bit longer for his first EURO-16 minutes.
The second major lineup question besides Rüdiger has moved the fans even more during the week. Does Nagelsmann bring his top joker Füllkrug from the start? For Kai Havertz, who is about to make his 50th international appearance? Or even together with Havertz?
Arguments for Füllkrug, but also for Havertz.
For every option there are good arguments. Füllkrug could certainly argue for himself with the last-minute header to make it 1:1 against Switzerland. "Such a small emotional explosion moment was not entirely wrong", Nagelsmann noted. So far, the national coach has consistently stuck to his role principle at home. Why should he deviate from that? Especially since he emphasized that Füllkrug had also played a "big role" as a substitute. Füllkrug came on three times from the bench - and both times he scored.
Without a doubt, good offensive solutions are needed against the defensively strong Danes. "They are a very physical, robust team that makes it difficult for every opponent to create chances. Incredibly header-strong - a dangerous opponent", Voeller judged. However, the sports director also formulated his own expectations clearly: "We have the optimism and the self-confidence that we want to advance to the next round."
Spain, France, Portugal and the tournament tree
And of course, the gaze goes secretly to the further tournament tree. The great European championship test, the unbeaten but also winless Danes, are still not past that. That would be a quarterfinal match in Stuttgart against Spain, the only team that won all three group stage games.
After that, a possible semi-final in Munich against France or Portugal could be on the way to the EM final in Berlin. Voeller resisted thinking too far ahead: "We are all doing well to focus only on the round of 16."
A knockout game is new territory for many actors in the German squad, incidentally also for the young national coach. "The law of the tournament is that the opponents tend to get stronger", Nagelsmann said. The best way to follow the advice of football expert Voeller, who as a player and DFB team manager knows about the special pressure situation of win-or-lose games and therefore also has a solution ready: "You just have to function."
Robert Andrich, with his distinctive platinum hair, expressed confidence in the electric atmosphere during the match against Denmark, saying, "We want to advance to the next round."
Rudi Völler, the DFB sports director, emphasized the importance of the home advantage during the knockout phase, stating, "Now it's knockout system, now it counts. We want to make it to the quarterfinals."
In Herzogenaurach, during the final training before the tournament, the TV cameras and photo objectives were predominantly focused on team captain Antonio Rüdiger, who trained without any noticeable issues.
Nico Schlotterbeck, set to replace suspended Jonathan Tah in central defense, hinted at the team's strategies for the Denmark match, stating, "We know how we want to play against Denmark."
Rudi Völler, commenting on Denmark's physical and header-strong style, expressed optimism, saying, "We have the optimism and the self-confidence that we want to advance to the next round."
German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann, reflecting on the lineup debate, remained tight-lipped, saying, "I've made my decision, but I won't say it."
In a press conference before the match, Nico Schlotterbeck and Julian Nagelsmann discussed the team's tactics and strategic adjustments against Denmark.
In the upcoming quarterfinals, if Germany advances, they could face Spain, the only team to have won all three group stage games.
If Germany manages to advance past the quarterfinals, they could potentially face France or Portugal in the semifinals.
Rudi Völler, experienced in both playing and managing the German national team, offered wisdom for the high-pressure knockout games, stating, "You just have to function."
The DFB team, with players like Niclas Füllkrug and Kai Havertz, is ready to face the challenges of the EURO-16 tournament and make Germany proud in front of the North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria audiences.
