Germany blanked Hungary 5-0 in a UEFA Nations League match in Dusseldorf last Saturday. Die Mannschaft, who came up with a good performance at the European Championships 2024 and lost to eventual champions Spain in a very close quarterfinal, continued their resurgence under Julian Nagelsmann to brush aside the Hungarians.
Nicolas Füllkrug, Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz all scored in a strong display that offered Hungary no respite on the day. It was a pretty good performance that must have appeased Nagelsmann.
Germany Different Without Kroos and Gündoğan
Both Toni Kroos and İlkay Gündoğan have retired from international football, with the former bidding adieu to club football as well. Hence, the Germans took the field without both of them, but their absence was not felt on the day. Musiala, the blue-eyed boy of German football, once again came up with a masterful display that showcased his obvious quality.
He played a wonderful through pass to Havertz that somehow did not result in a goal, but demonstrated his wonderful skills. Musiala and Wirtz then provided assists to each other to complete the rout. Havertz, starting as the No. 10 in Germany’s 4-2-3-1, also had a good match. The German back-four also played well and did not allow Hungary to have too many chances of scoring a goal.
Wirtz continues to enhance his reputation with a string of impressive performances. The combination of Musiala and Wirtz is proving to be quite a potent one that most of Germany’s upcoming opponents should be wary of. Robert Andrich also had a good match after already having proven his quality at Euro 2024. Therefore, it can be assumed that the future of German football is in safe hands.
Hungary has been regularly qualifying for the major international tournaments for the last few years, but came up with a very ordinary performance on Saturday. Otherwise, it could also be said that they were made to look ordinary by a formidable German side.
Germany also has the Netherlands and Bosnia-Herzegovina in their group. While they are not easy oppositions, Germany will fancy its chances of qualifying from the group. Its new-look team is one of the most lethal ones in Europe at the moment.
With experienced campaigners like Kroos, Gündoğan, Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer now retired, the onus is now on Germany’s younger players to take their team to new success and achievements. They had a similar situation during the late 2000s, when youngsters like Neuer, Müller, Mesut Özil, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Phillip Lahm combined to take the team to greater heights.
There is no reason why the current crop of players cannot do the same. The potential is already there and there is a young manager like Nagelsmann guiding them. One can sincerely hope that Germany will regain the consistent form for which it was once famous in world football. Being successful in the Nations League can actually be stepping stone for any such success in the future. It remains to be seen whether it is able to do so.