After inflicting a heavy defeat on Scotland in their opening fixture of EURO 2024, the German national team are all fired up ahead of their next group stage clash against Hungary, which is set to take place in Stuttgart on Wednesday evening (18:00 CEST). Head coach Julian Nagelsmann and full-back Maximilian Mittelstädt discussed the side’s preparations ahead of the upcoming game.
Julian Nagelsmann on...
...the next fixture: We’re well prepared. The players had a few hours to relax and see their families. We conducted a full analysis on Hungary and have a clear picture of their playing style. At the end of the day, our main target is to win. We’re not expecting to crush every opponent we come up against. Hungary put Switzerland under a lot of pressure in the second half of their match. Everyone knows exactly what they need to do as soon as they step onto the pitch.
...the key to success against Hungary: They’re very strong on the counter. Although they don’t have a clear strategy when they win back possession, they often do it successfully. Their forwards are also particularly good on the counter - they deliver precise crosses, and their set pieces are timed almost to perfection. This means that we need to keep their set pieces as far away from our penalty area as possible. I’ve prepared the team for every eventuality and hopefully that will show through on the pitch tomorrow.
...another tough challenge: It always comes down to the opposition, but the ball is also in our court. We adjusted a few things from the friendlies for the game against Scotland and ran through a number of match-specific scenarios. In general, I see Scotland as being at a very similar level to Hungary. It will ultimately come down to our tactics. Hungary are the ones under pressure, as they may not get through the group stage if they fail to beat us, so it’s likely that they’ll play on the front foot. We’ll do our best to cause Hungary the same problems that we did Scotland.
...the squad: Everyone is fit and healthy. We don’t have anything negative to report.
...playing at the MHP Arena: I was here a few times last season and the atmosphere was always incredible - the crowd is just so loud. I’m usually concentrating too hard on the game to judge the atmosphere over the full 90 minutes. The team and the fans have to find their feet first before they can progress through a tournament.
Maximilian Mittelstädt on:
...returning to Stuttgart: I’m extremely excited. I have so many positive memories from last season and hope that I can create some more tomorrow.
...his development: It’s honestly surreal. If I'd have told myself one year ago where I'd be now, I would have said I was crazy. I never stopped believing in myself and the fact that I was capable of having such a successful season. No one could have predicted this level of growth. I’m so thankful that Stuttgart provided me with the chance to continue improving in my position. I’m also very happy to have had such a strong season.
...Hungary: It will be a totally different game. We did really well against Scotland and stopped them from playing the ball out of their own half. If we make life just as difficult for Hungary, then we’ll be in with a chance. We have to replicate our performance against Scotland, and not let our quality slip in any area of the pitch. They remain very compact at the back, so we have to look for gaps to exploit.
...his task on the pitch: The position is very similar to how I play it with Stuttgart - the only difference is that I need to find a good balance between getting forward and dropping back to defend.
...Willi Orban, Dominik Szoboszlai and Roland Sallai: They’re all great players and have many individual qualities. Willi Orban is very good at the back, as he puts in strong defensive headers, but also poses a threat in set pieces going forward. Dominik Szoboszlai is always dangerous with that right foot of his, and Roland Sallai is strong in individual battles – he also poses a threat when carrying the ball up the pitch. I have, however, faced them all many times in the Bundesliga and therefore know what I need to do to when playing against them.
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After inflicting a heavy defeat on Scotland in their opening fixture of EURO 2024, the German national team are all fired up ahead of their next group stage clash against Hungary, which is set to take place in Stuttgart on Wednesday evening (18:00 CEST). Head coach Julian Nagelsmann and full-back Maximilian Mittelstädt discussed the side’s preparations ahead of the upcoming game.
Julian Nagelsmann on...
...the next fixture: We’re well prepared. The players had a few hours to relax and see their families. We conducted a full analysis on Hungary and have a clear picture of their playing style. At the end of the day, our main target is to win. We’re not expecting to crush every opponent we come up against. Hungary put Switzerland under a lot of pressure in the second half of their match. Everyone knows exactly what they need to do as soon as they step onto the pitch.
...the key to success against Hungary: They’re very strong on the counter. Although they don’t have a clear strategy when they win back possession, they often do it successfully. Their forwards are also particularly good on the counter - they deliver precise crosses, and their set pieces are timed almost to perfection. This means that we need to keep their set pieces as far away from our penalty area as possible. I’ve prepared the team for every eventuality and hopefully that will show through on the pitch tomorrow.
...another tough challenge: It always comes down to the opposition, but the ball is also in our court. We adjusted a few things from the friendlies for the game against Scotland and ran through a number of match-specific scenarios. In general, I see Scotland as being at a very similar level to Hungary. It will ultimately come down to our tactics. Hungary are the ones under pressure, as they may not get through the group stage if they fail to beat us, so it’s likely that they’ll play on the front foot. We’ll do our best to cause Hungary the same problems that we did Scotland.
...the squad: Everyone is fit and healthy. We don’t have anything negative to report.
...playing at the MHP Arena: I was here a few times last season and the atmosphere was always incredible - the crowd is just so loud. I’m usually concentrating too hard on the game to judge the atmosphere over the full 90 minutes. The team and the fans have to find their feet first before they can progress through a tournament.
Maximilian Mittelstädt on:
...returning to Stuttgart: I’m extremely excited. I have so many positive memories from last season and hope that I can create some more tomorrow.
...his development: It’s honestly surreal. If I'd have told myself one year ago where I'd be now, I would have said I was crazy. I never stopped believing in myself and the fact that I was capable of having such a successful season. No one could have predicted this level of growth. I’m so thankful that Stuttgart provided me with the chance to continue improving in my position. I’m also very happy to have had such a strong season.
...Hungary: It will be a totally different game. We did really well against Scotland and stopped them from playing the ball out of their own half. If we make life just as difficult for Hungary, then we’ll be in with a chance. We have to replicate our performance against Scotland, and not let our quality slip in any area of the pitch. They remain very compact at the back, so we have to look for gaps to exploit.
...his task on the pitch: The position is very similar to how I play it with Stuttgart - the only difference is that I need to find a good balance between getting forward and dropping back to defend.
...Willi Orban, Dominik Szoboszlai and Roland Sallai: They’re all great players and have many individual qualities. Willi Orban is very good at the back, as he puts in strong defensive headers, but also poses a threat in set pieces going forward. Dominik Szoboszlai is always dangerous with that right foot of his, and Roland Sallai is strong in individual battles – he also poses a threat when carrying the ball up the pitch. I have, however, faced them all many times in the Bundesliga and therefore know what I need to do to when playing against them.
