OPINION
National team
An outer instep for all cases: Mats Hummels has to go to the European Championships!
Mats Hummels is having an outstanding season at BVB. Not taking him to the European Championships would be a fatal mistake.
© Leon Kuegeler / Getty Images
Mats Hummels is the Constant in the defense of Borussia Dortmund. His renewed gala performance in the Champions League against PSG only allows one decision: he and his outer instep have to go to the European Championship in his own country!
81,365 fans in Dortmund will once again experience a magical European Cup night. And one of the magicians is there again Mats Hummels. The 1-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain opened the door wide open for BVB to reach the Champions League final, and Dortmund’s central defender perhaps played the biggest role in this. Concentrated, aggressive, with outstanding positional play: The now 35-year-old Hummels let the Parisian star ensemble around the much younger Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembelé and Co. bounce off him like annoying flies. Top form at crunch time.
It’s not the first time that Hummels has given a gala performance when it really matters. And that’s exactly why national coach Julian Nagelsmann can’t do without him. Mats Hummels has to go to the European Championships!
Mats Hummels is really blossoming again in the late autumn of his career
Most of the time it is folklore to say that a 35-year-old is in the best shape of his career. But with Hummels the thesis is correct. It’s not just his charisma on the pitch and his leadership qualities that have risen to a higher level in recent months. The numbers also speak for him. Against Paris, Hummels deservedly won the “Man of the Match” award: He won 100 percent of his aerial duels, seven of eight duels, made four successful tackles, had 69 ball contacts and played in the attacking third eight times – numbers that can only be described as “world class.” ” allow.
Anyone who misses out on this world class would have to be crazy. Hummels showed once again that the same criticism leveled at him is not true: he is too old, too slow and has been that way for years. Anyone who says that cannot have followed the 35-year-old’s career. He was never the fastest, but he always had outstanding positional play, which he has perfected this season. But even more important for the national team: Hummels is a number ten in his head, a playing central defender.
Hummel’s outer instep could be worth its weight in gold, especially against deep opponents
Ten years ago under Jürgen Klopp he was already a guarantee of success for two BVB championships. He can move from defense to playmaking role in midfield when the actual six is started. With a view to the group games of the European Championship, Hummels’ golden outer instep will definitely be sorely needed. Opponents like Scotland or Hungary will not engage in open exchanges of blows with the strong German offensive, but will instead run aggressively and stand deep. These games are perfect for Hummels.
Nagelsmann will probably rely on Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rüdiger in central defense because they are physically stronger – but neither of them have as fine a foot as Hummels. So why not take Hummels as a third central defender? In order to break through defensive bulwarks, you need a special moment, a perfect pass – or simply: an outside instep just in case.