Julian Nagelsmann is planning for the European Championship friendly against the Netherlands with the same starting line-up as in the recent 2-0 win in France. “Everyone is fit. The same first eleven is planned,” said the national coach on Monday. There could only be changes if a player was extremely weak or tired during the final training session on the DFB campus. The DFB team will take on their arch-rivals on Tuesday (8.45 p.m., RTL) in the Frankfurt European Championship Stadium.
Captain Ilkay Gündogan and his colleagues are wearing the new pink jerseys for the first time. Marc-André ter Stegen will be back in goal as a replacement for the injured Manuel Neuer. In front of them, Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rüdiger, Jonathan Tah and Maximilian Mittelstädt form the defensive line. Robert Andrich and Toni Kroos provide protection as a six, while Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz play with Gündogan in the attacking midfield. At the front, Nagelsmann is relying on Kai Havertz.
“It’s about us continuing on the path we’ve taken,” said Nagelsmann. But one shouldn’t fall into hysteria after the success in Lyon. “It’s a lot about the team believing in themselves,” said Nagelsmann. With victories, the team can better make its way to the European Championships. “The feeling of winning is indescribable, the feeling of losing is shitty,” said the 36-year-old.