According to Bild, ahead of the knockout stage, there is discussion within the German national team about a potential lack of physical intensity in duels.
Even after the victory against Ivory Coast, the team had begun discussing struggles in physical confrontations. The concern is that many German players lack strength in tackles against tough opponents.
Nagelsmann addresses the issue directly: "Physical confrontation is difficult to train. We need to play faster, shorter passes to avoid getting into difficult tackle situations."
The statistics are concerning.
Against Ecuador, Germany won 50% of their duels. However, of the 15 players who featured, 7 had a success rate below 50% in duels.
Pavlovic and his substitute Stiller both recorded success rates below 50% in direct duels. Additionally, Germany conceded goals in all three group stage matches.
Captain Kimmich spoke candidly after the match: "In the first half, we gradually lost control because of too many mistakes and losing physical battles."
With only days remaining before the knockout match, Nagelsmann acknowledged that improving physical fitness in such a short timeframe is unrealistic: "It's not possible to build upper body strength through training in this time."
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