Occasionally, DFB.de previews a national team player ahead of an important weekend for their club. This week we have chosen Shkodran Mustafi, who is set to book a place in next season’s Champions League with Valencia CF.
The World Champion and his teammates at Valencia will cross the pond in the coming week, as their end of season tour takes them to the US, with a friendly against New York Red Bulls on the agenda. But before the big trip out west, Mustafi still has one very important game to focus on. With one game left to play in the Primera Division, Mustafi and Valencia are set to finish fourth, which would make the season a great success.
Valencia have already qualified for the Europa League but coach Nuno Simoes and his players are looking for more than that. A fourth place finish, which would see them qualify for the Champions League, is the minimum they are aiming for. A third place finish is also still possible for Valencia, as is a drop back down to fifth if things don't go their way. Three teams will be fighting for a place in the Champions League on the final day in Spain's top flight. Barcelona have already won the title, followed in second place by Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid are currently third on 77 points (+38 goal difference), with Valencia a further three points behind (+37). Sevilla FC are fifth (+25), just one point behind Mustafi and Co.
In a best case scenario, Atletico would slip-up at FC Granada, while Valencia win their own encounter in Almeria (Saturday 18:30 CEST), as this would see them claim third place and direct qualification to the Champions League. The situation in the league has been the same for weeks now. Competition in the Spanish league is very high and mistakes are quickly punished. "Every game is like a cup final here," said Mustafi at the end of March. After finishing fifth and eighth in the last two seasons, Valencia are on course to reclaim the position that they often occupied having finished behind Barca and Real in the past. Mustafi has not played a small role in this development.
If he was not injured or suspended, Mustafi always played. With two exceptions, he has played the full 90 minutes in every one of his appearances. And his performances were consistent. The centre back has given Valencia's defence a lot of stability and with four goals he has also provided an attacking impetus. The World Champion has acclimatised quickly in Spain, which comes as no surprise if you look back at Mustafi's frequent moves to new countries and cultures. At the age of 17, Mustafi joined Everton from Hamburg in 2009. In 2012, the then 20-year-old Mustafi travelled south to sign a deal with Sampdoria Genoa in Italy. Returning from Brazil as a World Champion, Mustafi sought out a new challenge and linked up with Valencia.
His colleagues at Valencia are impressed with how quickly the German has learnt Spanish. He fully engages himself in the local culture and his easy-going nature has quickly made Mustafi a fan-favourite. Things are going well for Mustafi in Spain. All that is now missing is the perfect ending to a great season.
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Occasionally, DFB.de previews a national team player ahead of an important weekend for their club. This week we have chosen Shkodran Mustafi, who is set to book a place in next season’s Champions League with Valencia CF.
The World Champion and his teammates at Valencia will cross the pond in the coming week, as their end of season tour takes them to the US, with a friendly against New York Red Bulls on the agenda. But before the big trip out west, Mustafi still has one very important game to focus on. With one game left to play in the Primera Division, Mustafi and Valencia are set to finish fourth, which would make the season a great success.
Valencia have already qualified for the Europa League but coach Nuno Simoes and his players are looking for more than that. A fourth place finish, which would see them qualify for the Champions League, is the minimum they are aiming for. A third place finish is also still possible for Valencia, as is a drop back down to fifth if things don't go their way. Three teams will be fighting for a place in the Champions League on the final day in Spain's top flight. Barcelona have already won the title, followed in second place by Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid are currently third on 77 points (+38 goal difference), with Valencia a further three points behind (+37). Sevilla FC are fifth (+25), just one point behind Mustafi and Co.
In a best case scenario, Atletico would slip-up at FC Granada, while Valencia win their own encounter in Almeria (Saturday 18:30 CEST), as this would see them claim third place and direct qualification to the Champions League. The situation in the league has been the same for weeks now. Competition in the Spanish league is very high and mistakes are quickly punished. "Every game is like a cup final here," said Mustafi at the end of March. After finishing fifth and eighth in the last two seasons, Valencia are on course to reclaim the position that they often occupied having finished behind Barca and Real in the past. Mustafi has not played a small role in this development.
If he was not injured or suspended, Mustafi always played. With two exceptions, he has played the full 90 minutes in every one of his appearances. And his performances were consistent. The centre back has given Valencia's defence a lot of stability and with four goals he has also provided an attacking impetus. The World Champion has acclimatised quickly in Spain, which comes as no surprise if you look back at Mustafi's frequent moves to new countries and cultures. At the age of 17, Mustafi joined Everton from Hamburg in 2009. In 2012, the then 20-year-old Mustafi travelled south to sign a deal with Sampdoria Genoa in Italy. Returning from Brazil as a World Champion, Mustafi sought out a new challenge and linked up with Valencia.
His colleagues at Valencia are impressed with how quickly the German has learnt Spanish. He fully engages himself in the local culture and his easy-going nature has quickly made Mustafi a fan-favourite. Things are going well for Mustafi in Spain. All that is now missing is the perfect ending to a great season.
