Luxembourg vs. Germany: Julian Nagelsmann's Priorities Clash

LUXEMBOURG, THURSDAY — Germany's efforts to secure an automatic ticket to the 2026 World Cup are fraught with conflicting priorities. Coach Julian Nagelsmann is faced with two major priorities: securing a direct ticket or developing the squad. Which priority he chooses to prioritize will be reflected in the match against Luxembourg at the Luxembourg Stadium on Saturday (15/11/2025) at 02:45 WIB.

To realize the ambition of qualifying directly, Germany must at least win all of their remaining two qualification matches against Luxembourg and Slovakia. For this reason, Nagelsmann has faced significant criticism for seemingly continuing to shuffle players with the intention of squad development.

The harshest criticism came from three German legends, namely Stefan Effenberg, Dietmar Hamann, and Lothar Matthaus. They urged Nagelsmann to stop experimenting with the German squad amid two crucial matches. The urgent priority for these legends is that Nagelsmann can establish a "winning team," rather than frequently changing players during each international break.

Effenberg, Hamann, and Matthaus highlighted Nagelsmann's decision to call up Leroy Sane and Said El Mala instead of experienced players such as Angelo Stiller and Maximilian Mittelstadt. The call-up of El Mala has raised the most questions. The 19-year-old left winger is considered to have received a premature call to the German national team.

This season, El Mala has recorded 10 appearances in the Bundesliga. Out of those 10 appearances, El Mala has only started three times, while the rest were as a substitute. Hamann stated that it is too early for Nagelsmann to call up El Mala. He should give El Mala the opportunity to prove his performance in more matches.

"During my time, the national team coach would not even consider players with less than 50 appearances in the Bundesliga. After 70 or 80 matches, you might be on their radar," said Hamann.

Matthaus opined that the continuous experimentation with players conducted by Nagelsmann hinders the team's efforts to achieve consistency. "The team cannot attain stability due to a coach who is indecisive," Matthaus stated.

Matthaus is concerned that Nagelsmann will become increasingly experimental. This is because Luxembourg is the weakest team in Group A of the World Cup qualifiers. The neighboring country of Germany is currently at the bottom of the group after suffering four consecutive defeats without a win. Nagelsmann is suspected of taking the opportunity to experiment against a weak team.

According to Matthaus, Germany's top priority is to secure a World Cup ticket as soon as possible. If they can win against Luxembourg and in another match Slovakia, the second-ranked team, loses to Northern Ireland, then Germany will ensure their qualification.

In addition to victory, the match against Luxembourg must be maximized by Germany for the sake of goal difference. Although leading the group, Germany's progress is overshadowed by Slovakia, which has the same points, nine.

Meanwhile, Nagelsmann stated that he is not interested in testing or experimenting in the two crucial qualifying matches against Luxembourg and Slovakia. He agrees that Germany must prioritize victory in order to secure a ticket to the World Cup.

However, Nagelsmann feels the need to find balance for his team, which is currently facing a storm of injuries. Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz are confirmed to be absent. Meanwhile, the fitness of Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, who is suffering from a foot injury, remains uncertain.

Nagelsmann's decision to call up Sane and El Mala is closely related to the need to replace injured players. Sane and El Mala are also considered to possess the creativity required by Germany. Recently, the effectiveness of the attack and the creativity of German players in and around the opponent's penalty area have begun to dull.

"Qualifying for the World Cup is the most pressing goal. However, we need to improve our performance in and around the penalty area," said Nagelsmann.

However, Nagelsmann is not immune to criticism and is willing to balance the two priorities. The match against Luxembourg will be a testament to that.

"We want to double our strengths in every position. The most important thing is to achieve success in these matches, secure six points, and qualify for the World Cup," said Nagelsmann.

Germany, a four-time World Cup champion, is very eager to advance far in next year's tournament, which will take place in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The German Football Federation, DBF, has set a target to seize the fifth championship title. In the last two editions of the World Cup, Germany performed disappointingly, being eliminated in the group stage. (REUTERS)