Not in the starting eleven against England: Does Musiala have to worry about losing his regular place?

Created: 09/27/2022, 10:56 am

By: Philipp Kuserau

Thomas Müller was initially only on the bench against England.

© IMAGO/Press photo Rudel/Robin Rudel

In the last competitive game before the World Cup, Thomas Müller only sits on the bench - Jamal Musiala gets the preference.

The competition between the two has reignited.

Munich – Actually, the DFB team had already pulled the tooth from host England.

Up to the 71st minute, Germany was comfortably leading 2-0 in the last competitive game before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

It would have been the right reaction to the bitter 1-0 defeat by Hungary a few days earlier.

But there was still a crazy final phase waiting for the spectators in London's Wembley Stadium.

The "Three Lions" didn't give up and equalized within three minutes with goals from Luke Shaw (72') and Mason Mount (75').

It got even worse for Germany when Harry Kane even put the Brits in the lead from the point (83rd).

The final act was then scored twice by Kai Havertz with his equalizer shortly before the end (88th) - in the end the DFB team saved a draw over time.

Hoeneß demands more playing time for Musiala – to Müller's chagrin?

Thomas Müller followed what was happening on the pitch from his bench for almost 80 minutes.

Müller only on the bench in such a prestigious game against England?

An unusual sight.

"The question Thomas Müller does not arise," said national coach Hansi Flick on the RTL microphone after the game.

“Thomas gives so much to the team.

He is an experienced player.

But it was clear that Jamal would play.

Like Kai Havertz, he is a great footballer.

You are good for us.

Jamal just wants to have fun.

That is what distinguishes him.

He always wants the ball and knows what to do with it."

In fact, Musiala showed against England what value he can have for the national team.

The 19-year-old scored the penalty for the 1-0 lead against the unfortunate Harry Maguire and initiated the second German goal by winning the ball in his own half.

Should "Bambi", as he is often called by his teammates, be able to maintain this high level until the World Cup in just under two months, then there should actually be nothing standing in the way of promotion to the DFB starting eleven.

Even the honorary president of FC Bayern Munich, Uli Hoeneß, broke a lance for the mega talent.

"If he plays like that, he has to be in Bayern Munich and in the national team," said the 70-year-old after the game on RTL.

Ex-Bayern professional Mario Basler also railed against Müller before the international break.

Müller against England not in the starting XI: "Flick has definitely taken a stand on that"

The calls for more playing time for Musiala are getting louder - much to the chagrin of Müller, who is actually at home in the attacking midfield position.

The 33-year-old, who has only one goal this season, appears to be on a losing streak.

"Of course we always want to have the best players on the pitch.

It didn't go unnoticed that he was able to show his dribbling skills, especially in the second half - when the game opened up a bit and there was more space.

That's good for every team and it's nothing new, ”explained the Weilheimer diplomatically after the final whistle.

“Make him a beacon of hope, as you wish.

We will do a lot as a team and tackle it together.” 

Müller knows about the situation, that there is a lot of quality and competition in the squad of Bayern and the DFB team - especially on the offensive.

Havertz, who came on as a substitute against Hungary in the final stages, also attracted attention with two goals and a strong performance.

In the end, however, Müller did not have an explanation as to why he sat on the bench most of the time in the last competitive game before the World Cup.

“The head coach Flick has certainly already taken a position on this.

I dont know".