The German "Panzer" Team Needs a Savior

COLOGNE, SATURDAY — The defeat in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers serves as a harsh wake-up call for the German national team. They must reorganize and rise quickly. The problem is that the country, which has always been blessed with talented footballers, is currently experiencing a crisis in finding a savior figure within the team.

Germany is awaiting a must-win match against Northern Ireland at the Rheinenergie Stadium in Cologne on Monday (8/9/2025) at 01:45 WIB. They need three points after losing 0-2 to Slovakia last Friday. Each team in Group A will play six times, with only the group winner qualifying directly for the final round.

If they draw or lose again, the team coached by Julian Nagelsmann will find it increasingly difficult to qualify directly. "We have the opportunity to do better in three days (after the loss). We talk a lot about the World Cup, but before that, we must qualify first," said Germany's captain Joshua Kimmich.

The changes to the "Panser" team must begin with player selection. Nagelsmann has been criticized for playing three defensive midfielders simultaneously, namely Angelo Stiller, Kimmich, and Leon Goretzka. Goretzka was even deployed in a position behind the striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation.

German star Florian Wirtz was forced to shift to the left wing, playing not in his best position as an attacking midfielder. This very cautious selection of players was demonstrated solely to face a team ranked 52nd in the world, which is significantly below them in terms of quality.

Nagelsmann is facing a dilemma. He is also struggling to field an offensive squad due to limited options in the attacking line. Germany misses the presence of strikers Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz, who are out for an extended period due to injury. They are forced to rely on players who are not in their best form.

Just look at Germany's last three matches. Nagelsmann has consistently relied on Wirtz and young striker Nick Woltemade. As a result, Germany has only scored one goal and lost in all of those matches. The two previous defeats occurred in the European Nations League, against Portugal and France.

Woltemade (23), the new striker for Newcastle United, is highly talented. However, his role has yet to be evident since his debut against Portugal last June. Almost solely veteran striker Niclas Fullkrug has emerged as the best option from the bench. Fullkrug has only scored three goals at the club level since the 2024-25 season.

Wirtz (22), the recipient of the 2025 German Footballer of the Year award, has yet to make a significant impact as usual. He is still searching for his best rhythm as he slowly adapts to his new club, Liverpool. Typically, Wirtz and Musiala have always been sources of creativity for the German attack.

The lack of solutions from the bench was evident in the match against Slovakia. Nagelsmann only utilized three out of five available substitutions. Furthermore, only two offensive-type players were brought in, namely winger Karim Adeyemi and attacking midfielder Nadiem Amiri.

The quality of the Panser team has drastically declined within just a year. In addition to several key players being injured, they have also lost veteran players who often made a difference, including Thomas Mueller and Ilkay Gundogan. They have retired from the national team.

Nagelsmann intends to change the approach in the match against Ireland. According to him, the quality of the players is not the main issue. Moreover, their opponents are not major teams. The negative results are more attributed to the lackluster performance of Wirtz and his teammates.

"We always choose the best players, but perhaps we need to slightly set aside quality. We need to focus more on players who are willing to give their all on the field. If we perform with better energy, our game should be better next Sunday," said Nagelsmann.

Germany has always been known as a team that heavily relies on collectivism. Teamwork is paramount above all else. Nevertheless, they have always had standout players who can make a difference in the front line. From Gerd Mueller, Miroslav Klose, to the most recent, Musiala.

Ireland visited Germany's home ground with high confidence after winning against Luxembourg 3-1. They topped the temporary standings of Group A. Unlike Nagelsmann, Ireland's coach Michael O'Neill is very confident in the fighting spirit of his players.

"We have lost some good players at a higher level and have to replace them with other players. However, anyone who wears the Northern Ireland jersey, we always ask them to perform beyond their limits. I believe this group is capable of doing that," said O'Neill. (AP/REUTERS)