A strategic move by Nagelsmann quickly paid off. Lennart Karl celebrated a successful debut, though the defense had a challenging day.
The German national team successfully completed the first of its two World Cup warm-up matches. A particularly unexpected tactical decision by head coach Julian Nagelsmann showed immediate impact in their 4-3 victory over Switzerland. While the offensive players and debutant Lennart Karl impressed, defensive vulnerabilities remain the primary concern.
Against Switzerland, it quickly became apparent how much the DFB team had focused on set-piece situations. Germany’s first goal itself originated from a meticulously rehearsed play: a short corner from the left was taken by Joshua Kimmich, who immediately laid it back to Florian Wirtz without attempting to turn towards goal. Wirtz received the ball on the sideline and delivered a precise cross to the far post, where Jonathan Tah broke free from Silvan Widmer and headed in the equalizer for 1-1. This kind of quick, decisive execution catches the opponent off guard and is the hardest to defend.
Florian Wirtz’s goal, which put Germany ahead 3-2, also came from a set-piece. Wirtz, who delivered arguably his best performance in a national team jersey and was directly involved in all four German goals, received another short corner from Serge Gnabry. Unchecked by the Swiss defense, Wirtz took a couple of diagonal steps towards goal and impressively struck the ball from the edge of the penalty area into the far corner.
Even set-pieces that didn’t lead to goals proved effective. Kimmich’s corners, in particular, frequently arrived dangerously at the near post, posing problems for goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
This newfound strength is no accident: a few weeks prior, the DFB team brought in Dutch coach Alfred Schreuder, whom Nagelsmann knew from their time together at TSG Hoffenheim. The aim was to grant set-piece coach Mads Buttgereit more freedom to fully concentrate on this specialized task. Nagelsmann explained, «We decided to bring him in as an additional expert so Mads Buttgereit could fully concentrate on set-pieces during training. We expect set-pieces to play an even more significant role at this World Cup, so we want to intensify our focus on them.» This strategy proved to be a complete success.
Lennart Karl’s Successful Debut for the German Senior National Team
A glance at the scoreline and the four goals scored is enough to confirm that the DFB team’s offense had an excellent day. Beyond Wirtz’s world-class performance, Lennart Karl’s debut for the senior national team stood out. In his limited 28 minutes on the field, the 18-year-old impressively demonstrated his potential and justification for a place in the squad.
Against the Swiss, the Bayern youngster played fearlessly and unphased, surging down the right flank with pace and constantly creating danger with crosses into the opponent’s box. While Leon Goretzka couldn’t convert Karl’s first assist, his second set up Wirtz’s decisive 4-3 goal in the 86th minute.
Statistics further underline Karl’s successful debut: with three shot assists, he was Germany’s second-best player after Wirtz (five). In his brief appearance, he also had 31 touches and completed 18 out of 20 passes to teammates, nine of which were into the final third.
Karl’s rapid ascent this season thus continues. He only made his U21 debut in November and has been making a name for himself at FC Bayern as a player with a bright future. With such performances, he can certainly hope for playing minutes at the World Cup.
Matthäus: ‘Today Schlotterbeck did not impress me’
However, not everything went as hoped. As strong and efficient as the offense was, the defense proved vulnerable. Central defenders Nico Schlotterbeck and Jonathan Tah, in particular, had an off day. Schlotterbeck was involved in two conceded goals due to two dreadful mispasses, while Tah lost a crucial duel against Breel Embolo for the second goal. After this, Tah avoided major errors, but Schlotterbeck remained prone to mistakes.
Expert Lothar Matthäus commented that Schlotterbeck’s passing game was poor, directly leading to two goals, though acknowledged that such games can happen.
Consequently, Antonio Rüdiger emerged as the biggest winner among the center-backs, potentially putting significant pressure on the current starting duo. Matthäus believes Rüdiger will challenge hard, offering valuable selection options for the coach. «We have several players who are putting pressure on those two at the back,» he added.
The manner in which the goals were conceded was hardly surprising. It somewhat resembled Germany’s 1-2 loss to Japan at the Qatar World Cup: dominant possession, the controlling team, yet seemingly every opponent attack found the net. A similar scenario unfolded against Switzerland, despite Germany’s clear statistical superiority (e.g., 0.59 vs. 2.63 xGoals, 7 vs. 22 shots, 3 vs. 9 shots on target, 1 vs. 8 big chances, 3 vs. 17 shots in the box). Nevertheless, the result felt more balanced than the stats suggested.
Nagelsmann admitted, «We didn’t defend well in some situations. In high pressing, yes, but deep it was sometimes too passive. The third goal was an instant shot, hit from a standstill into the corner.» This defensive issue needs urgent resolution to avoid a «Japan déjà vu» at the upcoming World Cup.