National soccer team: Nagelsmann: No dip in performance due to rotation in Hungary

Despite the planned personnel changes in the last international match of the year, Julian Nagelsmann sees no risk of a decline in the performance of the national soccer team. “I can determine the squad so that there are always two top teams on the field, even if we rotate ten times,” said the national coach before the departure to Hungary to finish the year. In Budapest, the DFB selection will compete in the Nations League on Tuesday (8.45 p.m./ZDF) as the established group winners.

Nagelsmann did not want to reveal how intensive his rotation would be. What is certain is that Alexander Nübel will replace Oliver Baumann in goal. The national coach had announced that he would give both of the injured Marc-André ter Stegen’s deputies a chance to play in the position for the last time. Baumann had confidently thwarted the opponent’s only chance in the 7-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Since Jonathan Tah saw his second yellow card and is suspended in Hungary, Nico Schlotterbeck is likely to take his position in the defensive line; the BVB defender, in turn, served a yellow card suspension against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Nagelsmann announced at the beginning of the international training course that he wanted to take the pressures of the professionals into account in his planning. “I said that we are trying to be considerate of the clubs, within a healthy framework,” said the 37-year-old. Against Bosnia-Herzegovina, after just under an hour, he made four changes and gave Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, among others, a break.

“Above everything is always the team that is playing, that is us at the moment. But I am not naïve or narrow-minded and I know that there are still important games until Christmas. We have the same interest in the players staying healthy,” said Nagelsmann to his agreement with the clubs.

Musiala wants to have fun again

The game in the Puskas Arena is no longer relevant for the Nations League. The DFB team is group winner and will play in the quarter-finals in March for a place in the final round. The Hungarians are firmly in third place and have to avoid relegation to the B league in the playoffs. “We will show the fun we want to have in every game. We will take a step forward in every game,” Jamal Musiala promised a concentrated performance.