For years, the left-back position was considered the problem area for the German national team. There was a lack of players of international caliber. During the World Cup victory in 2014, Benedikt Höwedes had to accompany the position, although he had never played regularly on the left defensive side of the club before or since.
Before this year's home European Championship, the situation looks different: with David Raum and Maximillian Mittelstädt, two players are pushing their way into the DFB starting eleven. Both are having excellent seasons for their clubs. Who will national coach Julian Nagelsmann choose when his team opens the tournament against Scotland in 41 days?
Mittelstädt currently seems to be ahead. The national coach appreciates the Stuttgart player. Before the international matches in March, Nagelsmann said of Mittelstädt: “Statistically speaking, he is by far the best left-back in the Bundesliga and one of the top four left-backs in the world.”
The appreciation was also evident in Mittelstädt's operational times. He was in the starting line-up in the games against France and the Netherlands. In France, Mittelstädt played through, leaving space on the bench. Against the Netherlands there was room for Mittelstädt to make a substitution in the 79th minute.
In the game against Oranje, the former Hertha player made a bad pass before scoring to make the score 1-0 down, but he made up for his own mistake with his first international goal.
After the game he received special praise from the national coach: “He makes a mistake and then he goes forward and shoots the thing into the corner from 18 meters. And what's more, he plays a very good game afterwards.”
At the 2022 World Cup, Raum was in the starting line-up in each of the three German games. Although the Leipzig player is in much better form this season than last, his path into the first eleven seems less likely this time.
And this despite the fact that when you look at the statistics, at first glance Raum seems to be ahead. Room comes loud Kicker In the Bundesliga there are two goals and eleven assists, for Mittelstädt there are two goals and four assists.
However, upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that Mittelstädt has other statistical strengths that probably also impressed the national coach. Loud fbref.com He wins 3.97 tackles per 90 minutes and intercepts 2.14 passes in the same time. In both categories he is in the top 1% of defenders in the top five leagues in Europe. Raum wins 1.96 tackles and intercepts 0.98 balls. Both are average values.
Mittelstädt also impresses with his passing game. Loud fbref He completes 84.2% of his attempted passes, Raum's rate is 73.2%. Mittelstädt's rate is made even more impressive by the fact that he is also among the top 15% of defenders in Europe's top leagues in the space-gaining passes category. This means: The 27-year-old has a safe, progressive passing game. Space is only in the top 36% of the statistics.
In the games against France and the Netherlands it was clear that Nagelsmann wanted the full-backs to continually move into the center and join in the combination play. Mittelstädt fits this role perfectly with his playing strength.
Raum's strength, however, is the flank runs. He made 141 crosses this season Bundesliga.de. This puts him in undisputed first place. Franck Honorat in second place brought the ball into the penalty area 95 times.
This quality is less in demand in Nagelsmann's system, especially since the national coach is probably planning without a classic striker in the starting line-up. The number nine position will most likely accompany Kai Havertz.
So even if there will only be room on the bench for space for now, that doesn't mean that it won't play a role at the European Championships. The option to change the system in the game and bring in a duo strong in crosses and headers with space and a filling pitcher makes the team more flexible. Space could become crucial, especially in games in which the DFB team struggles to find gaps in the opposing defense through combinations.
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