According to Goal.com, Nathaniel Brown's recent decline in form has raised questions about his position as Germany's starting left-back for the national team.

Before announcing his first squad, head coach Jürgen Klopp had to consider many positions. However, the left defensive flank appeared to have several good options both in the short and long term, thanks to Brown. As expected, Klopp started him in both of Germany's first two matches—away against the Netherlands and then against Greece. The problem is that Brown's overall performance has been disappointing. Similar to his recent struggles at Bayern Munich, he is gradually losing ground to Alphonso Davies in the competition for the position.

In these two national team matches, Brown had some notable attacking moments. The most memorable was when he created an excellent chance for Adeyemi in the 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, though the striker was unable to capitalize. However, overall, Brown lacked presence. For example, in the disappointing 0-1 loss to Greece, only one of his eight crosses found a teammate.

More concerning was his ineffective defensive performance. Against quick opponents like Crysencio Summerville and Careca, Brown struggled significantly, leaving gaps behind him repeatedly. When the Netherlands equalized, Brown was beaten in a one-on-one duel by goalscorer Cody Gakpo.

Like most initially selected players, Brown left the national team training camp on Monday. Should he now worry about his starting position? In Germany's next two matches—against Serbia on Thursday and Greece on Sunday—Raum and Mittelstädt will have the opportunity to show what they can do.

In recent years, these two players have competed fiercely for the left-back position until Brown was first called up in October 2025 and earned the starting role in spring. At the World Cup, Brown was an absolute starter and one of the few bright spots for an otherwise mediocre German team. He then transferred to Bayern Munich from Frankfurt for 50 million euros and quickly secured a favorable position over the summer.

His rival, Alphonso Davies, has recently gone through a difficult period. The 25-year-old recovered from an ACL injury but then suffered a muscle tear at the end of last season. At the highly anticipated home World Cup, Davies ultimately played only 16 minutes for Canada. Back in Munich, he had not fully recovered, initially training individually, and then played only 66 minutes total in all pre-season friendlies.

Meanwhile, newcomer Brown proved his value with outstanding performances, demonstrating his versatility. Due to a shortage of attacking players, Brown played as a number 10 in Bayern Munich's 2-1 victory over Dortmund in the German Super Cup, scoring the opening goal that ultimately decided the match. Brown himself was surprised by this unusual position: "Especially in the first few matches, I still thought I would play left-back."

Kompany's decision surprised not only Brown but also Klopp. "Finally we have a left-back, and they put him in the number 10 position," Klopp joked on Sat.1 during the Stuttgart match. Of course, there may have been some truth behind the humor. Once problems in central attack were finally resolved, Brown returned to his familiar position, and now he is competing for playing time with the recovering Davies.

Brown first started in the German Cup against Osnabrück and then played in the Bundesliga against Elversberg, but due to an uninspiring performance, he was substituted early by Davies in both matches. In the Elversberg match, Davies' substitution also contributed to the turnaround. In Bayern's first Champions League match against Bodø/Glimt, Brown remained on the bench the entire game. Against Union Berlin, he only came on as a late substitute, as Davies delivered two assists and put in a standout performance.

To date, the Canadian player has directly contributed to four goals this season. Davies' physical condition also appears better than ever, nearly reaching his previous peak form, making him one of the standout performers in the early part of the season.

While Brown struggles with the national team, Davies is enjoying a late honeymoon period. Since a planned honeymoon trip after his wedding in the summer was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts, he has not participated in Canada's international friendlies during this break after consulting with head coach Jesse Marsch. On Monday, Davies shared a video on social media of himself playing beach volleyball on a beach with palm trees in the background.

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