The German national team has already secured its place in the round of 16 at the World Cup. After a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast and a goalless draw between Ecuador and Curaçao, Julian Nagelsmann’s side are guaranteed to finish top of the group before their third group match against Ecuador. In the round of 16 in Foxborough near Boston, Germany will face a third-placed team from Groups A, B, C, D or F, regardless of the result.
In the ZDF studio in Berlin, experts Per Mertesacker and Christoph Kramer discussed whether Nagelsmann should rotate heavily and rest players. Mertesacker warned against unnecessary changes: “You have to be careful. Breaking the rhythm of this team, playing every four or five days, and making wholesale changes — I wouldn’t do that.” The former centre-back stressed that the knockout games are coming quickly and the team needs to be fully focused.
Nevertheless, there are personnel decisions to be made. Mertesacker mentioned striker Kai Havertz and central midfielder Felix Nmecha, both of whom have been out with long-term injuries. Kramer added that both are injury-prone. Mertesacker emphasized Nmecha’s importance: “We absolutely need him as the tournament progresses. He was and is the only one who can hold his own against physically strong teams.” Rotation could make sense in this case.
Kramer spoke against major changes, even for Deniz Undav, whom he would keep in the super-sub role. He cited the difference in recovery between four days’ rest and five to six days, the absence of Nico Schlotterbeck, which forces personnel adjustments, and the team’s “flow” with eleven consecutive wins. Mertesacker drew a comparison to the home World Cup 20 years ago, when Jürgen Klinsmann made only one change after two wins.
Source: www.zdfheute.de
