Germany were held to a 0-0 draw by Ukraine in their penultimate friendly ahead of the EUROS. In an interview, head coach Julian Nagelsmann spoke about the match in Nuremberg.
How satisfied are you with the 0-0 draw against Ukraine?
Julian Nagelsmann: You’d obviously prefer to win. But, the most important factor is that I’d like to see a team that wants to win. We wanted to win today – we proved that. In both halves we were strong for 20 minutes. If we’d managed to make it 1-0, then a second or third goal would have followed.
What stood out to you from the performance?
Nagelsmann: We gave it everything we had at the end of a long season. When you’re up against an opponent that defends deep, then it’s a challenge to even record 27 shots. With a bit of luck, some of our chances could have gone in.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the team’s dressing room after the game. What did he say?
Nagelsmann: He wished us good luck and told us that the entire country is behind us and keeping their fingers crossed for us. He knew that I’d already given a long talk to the team beforehand, so he wanted to keep it short and sweet.
Maximilian Beier played extremely well after being subbed on. Has he secured himself a spot in the final squad for the EUROs?
Nagelsmann: He’s definitely made a strong case for himself. The lads still have a week to earn themselves a spot. So far, there’s no one in the team that’s earned themselves a ticket home. We’ll wait and see what happens this week. Maxi put in a strong performance and worked hard, also in defence. He’s definitely training better than he did in March.
Leroy Sané missed the game due to suspension. How are things with him?
Nagelsmann: He needs to train this week and play against Greece. He’s not in the matchday rhythm anymore with the national team. He won’t be able to play the full 90 minutes in every game, that’s been almost fully ruled out due to his pubic bone issues. He definitely has the chance to earn a spot in the starting line-up. But, he needs to train and will play against Greece.
How important would it be for the team to be successful against Greece?
Nagelsmann: You have to be able to differentiate between the emotional and the contextual elements. The game on 14th June is the more important one (Ed. note: Opening game against Scotland in Munich). However, wins are better than draws or defeats. We will go into the game against Greece with the intention of winning.
What lessons can you take from the game against Ukraine?
Nagelsmann: The game was perfect in preparation for the games that we have coming up during the group stages of the EUROs.
What can you stand to improve?
Nagelsmann: We need to work on taking our chances. We need to be more present inside the penalty area. We need to be more aggressive when it comes to playing crosses into the box from out wide.
Several people are speculating that captain Ilkay Gündogan will potentially be on the bench during the EUROs. What’s been your impression of him?
Nagelsmann: There are a lot of people speculating about a lot of things right now. Ilkay has played well. He’s gotten a lot of minutes this season. We need him for the tournament as he can really help lend rhythm to our game. He provides calmness and structure and is a player that can pose a threat on goal.
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Germany were held to a 0-0 draw by Ukraine in their penultimate friendly ahead of the EUROS. In an interview, head coach Julian Nagelsmann spoke about the match in Nuremberg.
How satisfied are you with the 0-0 draw against Ukraine?
Julian Nagelsmann: You’d obviously prefer to win. But, the most important factor is that I’d like to see a team that wants to win. We wanted to win today – we proved that. In both halves we were strong for 20 minutes. If we’d managed to make it 1-0, then a second or third goal would have followed.
What stood out to you from the performance?
Nagelsmann: We gave it everything we had at the end of a long season. When you’re up against an opponent that defends deep, then it’s a challenge to even record 27 shots. With a bit of luck, some of our chances could have gone in.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the team’s dressing room after the game. What did he say?
Nagelsmann: He wished us good luck and told us that the entire country is behind us and keeping their fingers crossed for us. He knew that I’d already given a long talk to the team beforehand, so he wanted to keep it short and sweet.
Maximilian Beier played extremely well after being subbed on. Has he secured himself a spot in the final squad for the EUROs?
Nagelsmann: He’s definitely made a strong case for himself. The lads still have a week to earn themselves a spot. So far, there’s no one in the team that’s earned themselves a ticket home. We’ll wait and see what happens this week. Maxi put in a strong performance and worked hard, also in defence. He’s definitely training better than he did in March.
Leroy Sané missed the game due to suspension. How are things with him?
Nagelsmann: He needs to train this week and play against Greece. He’s not in the matchday rhythm anymore with the national team. He won’t be able to play the full 90 minutes in every game, that’s been almost fully ruled out due to his pubic bone issues. He definitely has the chance to earn a spot in the starting line-up. But, he needs to train and will play against Greece.
How important would it be for the team to be successful against Greece?
Nagelsmann: You have to be able to differentiate between the emotional and the contextual elements. The game on 14th June is the more important one (Ed. note: Opening game against Scotland in Munich). However, wins are better than draws or defeats. We will go into the game against Greece with the intention of winning.
What lessons can you take from the game against Ukraine?
Nagelsmann: The game was perfect in preparation for the games that we have coming up during the group stages of the EUROs.
What can you stand to improve?
Nagelsmann: We need to work on taking our chances. We need to be more present inside the penalty area. We need to be more aggressive when it comes to playing crosses into the box from out wide.
Several people are speculating that captain Ilkay Gündogan will potentially be on the bench during the EUROs. What’s been your impression of him?
Nagelsmann: There are a lot of people speculating about a lot of things right now. Ilkay has played well. He’s gotten a lot of minutes this season. We need him for the tournament as he can really help lend rhythm to our game. He provides calmness and structure and is a player that can pose a threat on goal.
