Five Things We Learnt From Germany Group Stage Performance at Euro 2024

Germany ended the Euro 2024 group stage with two wins and a draw, sitting above Switzerland, Hungary and Scotland in Group A. As the Mannschaft prepare to meet Denmark in the last-16 round, we take a look at some of the main takeaways from their first three fixtures in the tournament.

Top 5 Takeaways From Germany Group Stage Performance in Euro 2024

A Solid Backbone

Germany’s disastrous campaign in the 2022 World Cup saw Hansi Flick use three different lineups in three outings. Forming a reliable starting XI became Julian Nagelsmann’s first challenge upon his arrival at the national team in September 2023.

Following an underwhelming period of trial and error, the 36-year-old manager seems to have found a solid backbone for his tactical ideas. Instead of making radical squad decisions, Nagelsmann has maintained a core of experienced stars while adding a number of exciting youngsters to the national team.

Toni Kroos has joined Germany for a final dance, leading Germany alongside fellow veterans Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller. For most Mannschaft fans, however, this tournament is about Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, who are eager to bring their incredible form in club football to the international stage.

Not Exactly Bayern

Bayern Munich players were at the heart of Germany’s squad during their decade-long dominance over the Bundesliga. The Bavarians are still well-represented in the national team, but several players from other German sides have also found their way into Nagelsmann’s squad.

Only a few days before the tournament, he called up Borussia Dortmund’s Emre Can to replace the Bavarian’s Aleksandar Pavlovic, who missed the tournament due to tonsillitis. Nico Schlotterbeck and Niclas Fullkrug have also joined Germany from the Black and Yellows.

Robert Andrich has secured a starting spot in the midfield after a fantastic campaign with Bayer Leverkusen. His teammate Jonathan Tah also started all three of Germany’s group-stage games, forming a defensive duo alongside Antonio Rudiger.

Another notable addition to Germany’s lineup is Maximilian Mittelstädt, who was crucial to Stuttgart’s success last season. The 27-year-old provided an inch-perfect assist for Ilkay Gundogan against Hungary in the second group fixture.

Havertz vs. Fullkrug

Germany have played without a top-class striker for years, often relying on attacking midfielders and wingers to score. A similar decision saw Nagelsmann start Kai Havertz as his team’s target striker in the group stage, with the Arsenal star finding the back of the net against Scotland.

However, Füllkrug’s brilliant cameos against Scotland and Switzerland have convinced many German fans that maintaining the Mannschaft’s attacking edge might hinge on having a natural striker in the lineup.

In a poll conducted by Bild, 140,000 supporters were asked if Havertz should be dropped for Füllkrug. The German newspaper has reported that 90 per cent of the voters prefer to see the Dortmund striker in the lineup.

The Manuel Neuer Factor

Neuer has maintained his place as Germany’s number one despite competition from Marc-André ter Stegen. Speculations over the goalkeeper’s potential retirement after the tournament have intensified in recent weeks. However, he didn’t show any signs of slowing down during the group stage.

A bizarre own goal from Rudiger ruined Neuer’s clean sheet against Scotland, but he didn’t concede a goal against Hungary. His performance against Switzerland, and particularly a wonderful save against Granit Xhaka, was crucial to Germany salvaging a point against their in-form rivals.

Neuer has proven that he can decide games at the highest level before. At 38 years old, the Bayern goalkeeper is motivated to clinch the only title missing from his trophy cabinet.

A Timely Wake-up Call

Germany’s 5-1 win over Scotland in the tournament’s opening game was their best performance in a very long time. The Mannschaft dominated the game with an excellent attacking display while preventing their opponents from registering a single shot on target.

Nagelsmann’s side owe their clean sheet against Hungary to a brilliant performance from Neuer. But it was against Switzerland that their main vulnarebilities were exposed.

Germany’s backline was caught off guard on several counter-attacks as they struggled to break their opponents’ low block. On the occasions that they got the ball behind Switzerland’s defence line, Havertz lacked enough efficiency in front of the goal.

Fullkrug’s last-minute goal eventually restored Germany’s place at the top of Group A. But the draw was a timely wake-up call for a team that might still be a few steps behind the main favourites for the Euro 2024 title.

Jacob Harvey

Jacob is a football journalist with a deep love for the beautiful game. You can find him watching football whenever he's not talking or writing about it.