According to Bild, ahead of the knockout stage, there is internal discussion within the German team about whether they have a problem with insufficient physical confrontation.

Already after the victory against Ivory Coast, the team had begun discussing the issue of being at a disadvantage in physical confrontations. The impression is that when facing difficult opponents, many German players struggled in the challenges.

Nagelsmann does not shy away from the issue: "Physical confrontation is difficult to train. We should play the ball quicker to avoid getting into challenges."

These numbers are concerning.

In the match against Ecuador, Germany won 50% of their duels. However, among the 15 players who played, seven had a success rate below 50% in duels.

Pavlovic and his substitute Stiller had a success rate below 50% in direct duels. Additionally, after three group stage matches, Germany conceded goals in all matches.

Captain Kimmich said bluntly after the match: "In the first half, we gradually lost control of the game due to many errors and being at a disadvantage in physical confrontations."

With only days remaining until the knockout match in Boston, Nagelsmann acknowledged that it is unrealistic to fundamentally improve physical fitness in the short term: "It is unrealistic to try to build upper body strength through training."

Traduzido por IA.

O site do AF já está online! Acesse notícias completas, comentários, detalhes de partidas e estatísticas no seu computador. Acesse: www.allfootballapp.com