News (engl.)

Germany are preparing for the third match of their World Cup qualifying campaign. On Friday (20:45 CEST), head coach Julian Nagelsmann’s side take on Luxembourg in Sinsheim. Germany are now looking to carry on their momentum after the 3-1 home victory over Northern Ireland in September. In the pre-match press conference on Thursday, Julian Nagelsmann and Serge Gnabry spoke about the squad, players’ roles in the team, and opponents Luxembourg. DFB.de have their most important quotes.

Julian Nagelsmann on…

…opponents Luxembourg: We shouldn’t be underestimating our opponents. Luxembourg are good at what they do. Similarly to Northern Ireland, they occupy spaces well and like to play the ball forward into the final third. There’s no question that we have a better squad and we want to win, but we want to improve and that’s how we’re approaching the game tomorrow. Luxembourg enjoy being in their position. It suits them well. They’re not considered favourites, which means they can play with freedom. We’ve seen how they can adapt their game depending on the opponent. They are very flexible in their play. Their game plan for when they have the ball is not easy to defend against. They’re good on the counterattack. I’m expecting a strong opponent tomorrow.

…the possible significance of a big margin of victory: I haven’t said that we need to win by a big margin. First and foremost, we need to win. It would also show a lack of respect to the opponent. Goal difference could definitely be important.

…the week on the training ground: In general, we don’t have a lot of time to train, but we’ve made the most of the time we have. We’ve looked at a few things and focused on our defence. We have to try to defend well as a unit.

…the team’s spine: The spine is the collective. Some of the older, more experienced players were still there at the EUROs, and some possible components of our spine are currently injured, which makes it hard to give a list of names. We don’t need to name four our five players. The team is its own spine. Of course, we have a captain whose presence is important, but all the players need to take on all the responsibility.

…Nick Woltemade: We’ll have to wait and see. He’s feeling better and has trained with the team. As it stands, he could start tomorrow, but we’ll see how tonight goes.

…Nico Schlotterbeck’s involvement: We try to coordinate with the clubs. However, unlike the clubs, we don’t have as much time to manage the player’s fitness. He’s doing well. I haven’t decided yet whether or not he’ll start. It’s possible he’ll be in the line-up tomorrow. My plan is for him not to play two full 90 minutes, but it will all depend on how the games pan out.

…Serge Gnabry: Serge is in a really good moment for several reasons. He’s in peak physical condition, and he’s also benefitting from the injury situation, which means there aren’t too many players available in his position. He can now play with freedom and feel good. That will be good for him. He’s had a great season so far.

…the decision not to call up Maximilian Mittelstädt: David Raum has a top mentality and always leads from the front. He’s taken another step forward by becoming Leipzig’s new captain. Nathaniel Brown is a great prospect and deserves his call-up. The door isn’t closed for Maxi, and he knows that, but we had to look at the overall picture. That’s why we made this decision.

…the goalkeeping situation: Oliver Baumann put it aptly when he said that it’s not helpful to talk about all of the different scenarios. We’ve seen a lot of change in goal, sometimes because of injuries. But since Manuel [Neuer] made the voluntary decision to retire, we’ve never had a goalkeeping problem. I’m happy that Oli can play at his home stadium tomorrow.

…returning to Sinsheim as Germany boss: I could never have imagined it back then, but it’s great to be here. I had a brilliant time at the club [TSG Hoffenheim] and in the region. I’m really looking forward to being here with my team as Germany coach.

…a possible coaching role for Thomas Müller at the 2026 World Cup: Thomas is definitely a candidate to take up one of those positions. As we know, though, Thomas is still under contract as a player. He will probably not be an assistant coach next summer. But it could happen one day. He’d definitely be the right kind of guy for that.

Serge Gnabry on…

…the Luxembourg match: I want to show my quality and my form by scoring goals and providing assists. We’re going into the game with a strong desire to win. It’s an important match.

…playing with freedom: I think good performances always help you to develop a sense that you’re playing with freedom. You get into a flow and you no longer have to think too much. It’s also important that we don’t overthink things tomorrow.

…his role in the team: When you’re a more experienced player in a young squad, you try to help the lads in the same way you were helped when you first started out. The most important thing is to show your leadership ability on the pitch, and get the lads on board so that they feel good and can show their ability on the field.

…Florian Wirtz’s form: As a friend, you always want to help every player, particularly in difficult situations. I don’t get the feeling Flo needs that, though. He’s laughing and smiling and is in a good frame of mind. We all know the quality he has. He’s just made a big move, and you have to give him time. It’s good for him that he now has some international matches where he can show how he’s able to perform.