Julian Nagelsmann ushers in a new area at Germany as they take on key rivals Hungary at home, as the teams kick-start their UEFA Nations League A campaign.
Julian Nagelsmann finds himself in a unique position to usher in a new era for the German football team following the retirements of several senior stars. It is an opportunity for the former Bayern Munich boss to freshen up things and build a team that can uphold his standards as Germany get set to take on Hungary this weekend.
Germany are blessed with some top talents, while their current squad has the right mix of youth and experience. Nagelsmann might have overseen another disappointing major tournament having exited the Euros against eventual winners Spain. Still, to his credit, he has barely had any time to create a team as per his specifications.
Nagelsmann will now look forward to building a team capable of re-entering the global conversation as he kick-starts this new German era with the UEFA Nations League A campaign and builds towards the FIFA World Cup 2026. Germany kick-start with a top-notch clash with rivals Hungary, as the manager will want to top their group at the end of this stage.
Hungary are one of the underrated teams in Europe and has the talent to challenge the top order in the continent. However, they, too, need to find consistency in their game and build momentum. A tough challenge in their group and the desire to finish among the top two will provide the required motivation to perform well.
Marco Rossi’s present task dictates he brings some balance in terms of results. At the Euros, Hungary continued their run of winless games in that competition, which finally ended with a victory over Scotland in the final group game. Despite that, they missed out on a place in the knockout rounds by goal difference. However, there were indications that this team needs to improve on many fronts.
The game against Germany in the Nations League A group does bring a big test to the table. Hungary will be keen to assert their ambitions in this group, as they will have to overcome Nagelsmann’s side in addition to The Netherlands and Bosnia & Herzegovina. So, Rossi will be aiming to finish at least second in this group.
Team News & Tactics
Germany
A raft of international retirements of many renowned German stars will open the doors for those who have been patiently waiting in the background for a long time. Chief among those is Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who could finally have the chance to stake claim on the No.1 spot following Manuel Neuer’s retirement from international football.
With Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan also gone, Julian Nagelsmann could look to build a new midfield, as he can still call up the experience and youth of some of his existing stars. For instance, Pascal Gross could get a concerted run as one of the leading men in the midfield, with Robert Andrich, Alexander Pavlovic, and Gross all in the manager’s core plans.
At the back, Nagelsmann might bring in Nico Schlotterbeck in place of the rested Antonio Rudiger, which might be the only change there, as new captain Joshua Kimmich continues in the right-back role.
The frontline will be the most exciting part of this German evolution, as Nagelsmann might look to build around Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. He could bring Chris Fuhrich for this Hungary encounter on the left-hand side of the attack, although that one position might still be up for grabs in the future.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): ter Stegen; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Mittlestadt; Pavlovic, Gross; Musiala, Wirtz, Fuhrich; Havertz
Hungary
Marco Rossi will choose a competitive eleven to face Germany, skippered by Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai, with his former RB Leipzig teammates Peter Gulacsi and Willi Orban set to feature at the back line. Rossi will also have Roland Sallai, who also knows the Bundesliga all too well.
The manager has dropped some of his other players from this current group, with Attila Fiola, Laszlo Kleinheisler, Adam Lang, Callum Styles, and Attila Szalai all missing out on selection. However, Barnabas Varga is back in the mix and will return from a severe head injury he sustained against Scotland. He will lead the line for Hungary against Germany.
In midfield, Adam Nagy and Andras Schafer will take their spots, with support from Bendeguz Bolla and Milos Kerkez in the wingback roles. Roland Salai will complement Szoboszlai in the attacking third, with the duo in behind striker Varga.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Gulacsi; Botka, Orban, Dardai; Bolla, Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Sallai; Varga
Key Stats
- Germany have seen under 2.5three goals in their last matches against Hungary in all competitions.
- Germany recently beat Hungary at the Euros.
- Hungary last beat Germany in the UEFA Nations League in 2022.
- Hungary have one victory in their last six meetings with Germany.
Player to Watch
Kai Havertz
A lot has been spoken about the German during the Euros, as many felt Niclas Fullkrug deserved the chance to lead the line ahead of Kai Havertz. However, the Arsenal star has been in superb form since the turn of the year, with further talk of him being involved in Germany’s leadership group only elevating talk of his rising importance on the side.
In Niclas Fullkrug, Julian Nagelsmann has a strong option off the bench. Still, in Havertz, he has a fully functional centre-forward who can help the exciting attacking players like Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala explore in the final third. Hence, it makes more sense for Havertz to keep starting in the No.9 role, and given his form, the Gunners star will be the player to watch in this clash.
Prediction
Germany 2-0 Hungary
Hungary are not in the best of form, although they are still one of the underrated sides in Europe capable of taking on the traditional big guns. However, they will come into this clash under a bit of pressure to get something that could have a reverse effect on their plans.
Meanwhile, Julian Nagelsmann will lay his impression on how he wants this team to play going forwards and could realistically call the current side his own. Hence, this will be a big game for the former Bayern manager, as Germany are pencilled in for a win in their opening Nations League A game.