Drama over Szalai in the Netherlands

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With pleasure and eagerness to score goals and win the group: the national team delighted its fans with another fantastic (Site notre bureau spécialisé) festival in the last home match of the year and gave Julian Nagelsmann his biggest victory to date as national coach.

Jamal Musiala as the new header monster with a lightning strike after just 80 seconds, Tim Kleindienst (23rd minute) with his first international goal and Kai Havertz (37th) scored in the 7-0 (3-0) victory against the Bosnia and Herzegovina. half for clear conditions. Florian Wirtz (50th/57th) with a double, Leroy Sané (67th) and Kleindienst again (79th) achieved the biggest German victory in the Nations League in the sold-out Europa Park stadium in Fribourg, in front of 28,143 spectators, during a perfect evening of euphoric (Site notre bureau spécialisé). . The last time Germany won higher was three years ago under Hansi Flick when they beat Liechtenstein 9-0.

Even before the trip to Budapest for the final match of the preliminary round against Hungary on Tuesday, the group victory in the UEFA competition, which Nagelsmann had declared as a goal, ended with confidence. The positive effect of first place: in the quarter-finals in March, captain Joshua Kimmich and his colleagues were spared direct elimination duels against Spain, European champion, or against Portugal for Cristiano Ronaldo. Nagelsmann will find out next Friday who will be the last opponent on the way to the final in June.

However, the national team does not have to fear opponents in this form anyway. Bosnia and Herzegovina, relegated to the A-League, led by coach Sergej Barbarez, felt it mercilessly and suffered the biggest defeat in the history of the association. After the fun (Site notre bureau spécialisé) lesson, Nagelsmann replaced a quartet around Musiala and Wirtz after just under 60 minutes. There was no break in the German game.

First fog, then lots of celebrations DFB: goal after 80 seconds

The eleven players sent onto the field by the national coach knew from the first minute exactly what they had to do. “We are on the right track. We have to continue,” Nagelsmann stressed just before the match. And they did. He should have at least hoped to be able to celebrate the DFB team’s first goal after less than two minutes. The thick fog in Freiburg, which had extremely limited visibility when we arrived, had almost completely disappeared and the German fans in the crowd had a clear view of Musiala’s first and famous header.

The ball landed on Kimmich after several stops. The Bayern professional, who caught Berti Vogts in his 96th international match, crossed in the middle for his colleague from the Munich club. And there was no need to ask him: Musiala rose into the air and spectacularly headed the ball into the goal from eight or nine yards out. Only 1:20 was played.

Settle for an early lead does not fit the direction of the Nagelsmann-led team. From Kleindienst to Havertz, Wirtz, who recovered in time from an infection, and the very gifted and funny (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er Musiala in defense, the DFB team remained wide awake and hungry.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, who suffered their sixth defeat in their seventh match under the management of former Bundesliga professional Barbarez and managed only a draw, did not make things easy for the hosts, at least tactically. The guests retreated far into their own half. Stuttgart striker Ermedin Demirovic, who replaced captain Edin Dzeko, who was surprisingly relegated to the bench, was hardly able to distinguish himself offensively.

Havertz’s first DFB goal since June

But Gladbach’s small service. After the Bosnians tried to defend, the ball landed on Robert Andrich. Kleindienst gave his shot another change of direction with a small but subtle touch – straight into the goal. After their roller coaster ride at Europa-Park during the week, things took a turn for the worse for the guests this time. The German team acted too decisively, too clearly and too confidently in their last home appearance, which was intended to further intensify the mood.

And that’s what she did: Havertz three times, Musiala once. Despite the visitors’ defensive tactics, the German team continued to diligently create chances. The fact that goalkeeper Oliver Baumann easily saved a shot from Nail Omerovic (34th) in one of the rare opposing attacks at his former workplace and brilliantly parried against Holstein Kiel’s Armin Gigovic shortly before half-time was everything entirely appropriate for a hugely successful match. German (Site notre bureau spécialisé) evening.

Especially when Havertz also scored. A wonderful combination was born. For Havertz, after three penalty goals, it was the first match goal in a DFB jersey since June 7 in the 2-1 European Championship test against Greece. Wirtz didn’t want to miss either and scored a few minutes after the break. Guest goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj from FC St. Pauli didn’t look good when the free kick was taken – especially since he had recently conceded a similar goal from Musiala in the league.

Matthäus’ verdict: DFB team plays ‘dream (Site notre bureau spécialisé)’

Wirtz then increased the score further with a shot before he and Musiala were replaced to applause and received by a visibly satisfied Nagelsmann on the sidelines. “The German team is playing dream (Site notre bureau spécialisé) today,” enthused national record holder Lothar Matthäus before the next goals were scored. In his first international match since being eliminated from the European Championship, Sané was there just minutes after replacing Musiala before Kleindienst scored again.

Dutch victory overshadowed by Szalai drama

The Dutch national team also qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League. Coach Ronald Koeman’s side sit second in the German group after a 4-0 (2-0) win over Hungary. However, the match was overshadowed by a medical emergency early on.

After a few minutes of play, Hungary’s assistant coach, Ádám Szalai, collapsed on the sidelines. The match at the Johan Cruyff Arena was immediately stopped and paramedics rushed to the team’s training area. During the first half, Hungarian soccer federation MLSZ announced that Szalai’s condition was stable and that he was conscious. He was therefore taken by ambulance to a hospital in Amsterdam to be examined.

There had already been dramatic scenes in the stadium. Silence spread, supervisors and replacements formed a circle around Szalai as he was treated behind a privacy screen. Hungarian media reported resuscitation. Many things are reminiscent of the drama surrounding Danish star Christian Eriksen, who collapsed on the pitch during the 2021 European Championship and suffered cardiac arrest.

When paramedics brought Szalai inside the stadium after just over twelve minutes, there was a round of applause. The match resumed shortly after with a penalty according to the Dutchman’s video evidence. Wout Weghorst scored to make it 1-0, but the celebration remained subdued given the previous circumstances (21st). Before the break, Cody Gakpo added a new penalty (45th + 12th).

If the Hungarians created some good chances at the start of the match, they seemed clearly inhibited after the break. Denzel Dumfries (64th) and Teun Koopmeiners (86th) scored the other goals for the now vastly superior Dutch team. However, the sport had long been relegated to the background due to fears over Szalai.

Szalai, who played 276 Bundesliga games for Mainz, Hoffenheim, Schalke and Hannover, played for Hungary until two years ago, most recently as captain. 1. FSV Mainz 05 contacted X and wrote to him that his thoughts were with Szalai. The 36-year-old ended his active playing career in the summer of 2023. It was not until October, in the first leg against the Netherlands, that he served as an assistant coach for the first time of the Hungarian national team.