Spain’s path to the European Championship seemed a little clearer for an hour last Sunday in Frankfurt. Germany, who were flying in the tournament until that game against Switzerland, found themselves behind for the first time after a goal from Ndoye. The result put the hosts second in their group, which sent them to the other end of the table, far from La Roja. But Julian Nagelsmann hit the panic button and took off Niclas Füllkrug, who equalised in added time (1-1), and Germany then appeared to be Spain’s most likely opponent in the quarter-finals. It worked out well for the German coach, and at the same time not so well: they avoided defeat, but faced a heated debate about which striker to field this Saturday in the round of 16 against Denmark in Dortmund (21.00, La1).
Nagelsmann used the same starting eleven in the three group games and the machine seemed to be working, except for the lack of accuracy of Havertz, who only managed to score from the penalty spot on the first day in the 5-1 thrashing of Scotland. Meanwhile, in the free moments he had, the figure of Füllkrug emerged, who has taken three shots and scored two goals.
The last one was the one that complicated Spain’s path. Nagelsmann sent the Borussia Dortmund striker onto the field in the 76th minute, when the game was becoming too much for them, as the coach explained: “They didn’t leave us much space, so we needed more crosses and taller players. We also overtook Rüdiger to increase air power. And it worked”. Already in added time, Raum put a cross into the area from the left, where the Real Madrid center back and Füllkrug jumped together, who headed into the net.
The draw in extremis was an emotional boost for Germany. In their camp in Herzogenaurach, headquarters of Adidas and Puma, where they live harassed by a plague of mosquitoes that chase them when they go outdoors, they place a lot of value on the comeback. They believe that to win big tournaments, teams must always go through some difficult moment.
Füllkrug himself pointed in this direction: “The equalising goal is a moment that can help us with everything during the tournament. Also the atmosphere of the team and the country. It was a great feeling. It is a relief that we could have this joy as a team.”
The Dortmund striker has a knack for finding a reward coming off the bench. He has scored seven goals in the 13 games in which he has entered from the wing with the national team. In major tournaments, his record is even more striking: four goals in six appearances as a second unit. Given Havertz’s difficulties in getting things right, many in Germany are demanding that tonight he leave that role as a refresher and start the game in the stadium that is his home in the Bundesliga.
Nagelsmann doesn’t see the change as obvious: “That’s when we really need him,” he said. “But he performs just as well in the starting XI as he does coming off the bench. He has both good and bad luck in being so good in that role as a substitute. That’s why we brought him in.”
Although Havertz has not yet scored in the game, the coach has no doubts about the Arsenal striker, whom he also considers a good header: “Kai can also play as a center forward,” he said. That is where he has given Arteta the most performance in London. “Füllkrug is a different player. He depends on what we need in each game.” The match against Switzerland posed the challenge of lack of space. “At first we did very well with Kai, because he is fast, and the spaces were very small, so we need players who can move quickly in those areas,” explained Nagelsmann, who finds Havertz’s combinative ability especially useful. .
Yesterday they asked him again about the dilemma: “I have made the decision, but I am not going to tell it.”
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