{"id":418493,"date":"2025-09-12T12:59:25","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/418493\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T12:59:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:59:25","slug":"whos-up-whos-down-germanys-september-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/418493\/","title":{"rendered":"Who\u2019s up, who\u2019s down: Germany\u2019s September in review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Germany\u2019s shaky September has left us with more questions than answers. Sunday\u2019s 3-1 win<\/a> over Northern Ireland offered a salve after Thursday\u2019s shock 2-0 defeat<\/a> to Slovakia as the world footballing giants have gone from talking World Cup title to realizing they have a qualification battle on their hands.<\/p>\n

As the clock ticks down towards next summer\u2019s Men\u2019s World Cup, the whole is looking very questionable, much less the sum of the parts.<\/p>\n

But how are the parts doing? In the wake of high-profile absences such as Bayern Munich\u2019s Jamal Musiala and Arsenal\u2019s Kai Havertz, there was ample opportunity for other squad players to assert themselves \u2014 or not. Here\u2019s who made the most of the opportunities.<\/p>\n

\"COLOGNE,<\/a><\/p>\n

COLOGNE, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 07: Nadiem Amiri of Germany celebrates victory after the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Germany and Northern Ireland at RheinEnergieStadion on September 07, 2025 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n

GK Oliver Baumann<\/strong> (TSG Hoffenheim)<\/strong>: The 35-year-old looks the unquestioned starter in the absence of Manuel Neuer and the currently jobless Marc-Andr\u00e9 ter Stegen. He\u2019s growing into the role and is a sharp, veteran shot-stopper. Look, at this point, Neuer is probably salivating to make his return and will get to do it. But Baumann\u2019s earned his keep.<\/p>\n

CB Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt):<\/strong> A versatile defender not named Thilo Kehrer, Koch has stuck around the national team setup without ever really making his mark. The 29-year-old is a reliable starter at what looks like a leading Bundesliga contender in Eintracht Frankfurt, and was solid if unspectacular in his start vs. Northern Ireland. Expect him to stick around.<\/p>\n

CM Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern):<\/strong> As central as ever. Kimmich\u2019s return to midfield is still raising this author\u2019s eyebrows and he did not look as influential against Slovakia as he has been even from right-back in the recent past. However, he\u2019s still Germany\u2019s metronome in midfield and provides a deadly chipped ball over the top. Also, he\u2019s the man for free kick pep talks.<\/p>\n

AM Nadiem Amiri (Mainz 05):<\/strong> Amiri injected life into the German attack when it desperately needed it, coming off the bench in both games and making the difference in the second. Amiri drew two yellow cards in a matter of minutes, pounced in the box with the goal to break the deadlock, and earned the foul to set up Florian Wirtz\u2019s magical free kick. That\u2019s the kind of energy you don\u2019t want to let go of. The attack is crowded, but Amiri took a big step to cementing his place in it.<\/p>\n

FW Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern):<\/strong> Gnabry has quietly had a strong start to the season for both club and country. The Slovakia game wasn\u2019t one of his best but his early goal against Northern Ireland was vintage Gnabry and a cold, collected finish. Could he end up in the mix at the 9?<\/p>\n

FW Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart):<\/strong> Leweling was relied on in the second match for 90 minutes to hold down the right side. To this author\u2019s eye, he was less dynamic there than he was when he first broke into the national team and had more time in and around the box. But Nagelsmann \u2014 and most others in the game thread<\/a> \u2014 seemed to really rate his performance on the wing.<\/p>\n

AM Florian Wirtz (Liverpool):<\/strong> Wirtz was the most consistently energetic and active attacker across the two games. It seems like he could use some more help around him \u2014 he can\u2019t provide if the runs aren\u2019t right or if the shots don\u2019t come off from them \u2014 but he also showed with that free kick that he can take matters into his own hands.<\/p>\n

CF Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund):<\/strong> How about that? Beier has been off the radar for a little while, including at BVB, where he had a somewhat forgettable 2024\/25. But he was a problem once he got on the field. His excellent run to draw the keeper out helped Amiri snatch his goal. Dortmund turned down a big offer for him this summer and it looks like the suitors will keep lining up.<\/p>\n

\"COLOGNE,<\/a><\/p>\n

COLOGNE, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 06: Julian Nagelsmann, head coach and Oliver Baumann of Germany talks to the media during the press conference of the German national football team at RheinEnergieStadion on September 06, 2025 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n

RB Nnamdi Collins (Eintracht Frankfurt):<\/strong> The 21-year-old was handed a surprise start against Slovakia before being hauled off at half-time. Julian Nagelsmann took responsibility and his Frankfurt coach defended<\/a> him as well. And he\u2019s the closest thing to a right-back on this roster (well\u2026<\/a>). But, the formation that allowed him in may have just been written out of the picture and the way he was employed did not look right.<\/p>\n

CM Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen):<\/strong> Just a summer<\/a> ago, Andrich was a revelation for Germany, the gritty defensive midfielder needed to tie everything together. Now he\u2019s stuck on the bench. Andrich did not make an appearance across two games.<\/p>\n

CB Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund)<\/strong>: Anton did appear, but it didn\u2019t look all that convincing. Coming in for Jonathan Tah against Northern Ireland, the BVB defender didn\u2019t have any nightmares but looked none too steady in the center of defense, and no stranger himself to random giveaways. Perhaps that\u2019s a system issue? Anton was also very lucky not to give away a penalty in the first half.<\/p>\n

CBs Antonio R\u00fcdiger, Jonathan Tah:<\/strong> Germany\u2019s starting pair play for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich but looked awfully off it. R\u00fcdiger earned himself yellow cards in consecutive games while looking like any energetic attacker can get past him and Tah inspired little confidence in his ability to command a defensive line. Yikes! Germany could be in real trouble at this position..<\/p>\n

CM Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart):<\/strong> Stiller was a big name in the transfer window and a big hope for the German midfield. He looked lost and was overrun against Slovakia, and was replaced for the second match. There\u2019s plenty of time for the 24-year-old to bounce back but this was a rough September period for him.<\/p>\n

FW Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund):<\/strong> Adeyemi is still young at 23, but he has now been on the national team for quite a while without quite landing. He has shown flashes but did little against Slovakia of note, and didn\u2019t appear in the next one. As noted, the attack is crowded, and Adeyemi will need to make his mark at club level to stick around.<\/p>\n

CF Niclas F\u00fcllkrug (West Ham):<\/strong> F\u00fcllkrug had to withdraw from the period. He missed huge chunks of last season, his first in the Premier League, and has yet to score in three games this year for West Ham. He has to show he still has that magic scoring touch.<\/p>\n

CF Nick Woltemade<\/strong> (Newcastle United):<\/strong> Germany\u2019s big new hope at striker and Newcastle\u2019s new \u20ac90M man turned up with two very anonymous starts. He had a nice flick on to create a chance against Slovakia but, largely, looked a few ticks short of dangerous in the box, sometimes failing to find his feet right to get a shot away. He\u2019s likely to get more starts next month, and will be hoping to make much better of them.<\/p>\n

HC Julian Nagelsmann<\/strong>: Yeah, that was deflating. After all the buzz and the talk, Germany simply showed up flat. Nagelsmann tweaked for the first game, then had to tweak some more in the second \u2014 and for a while, it looked like a real crisis. The Germany we thought we knew finally turned up late in the second half, but the aura from last summer is gone and will need to be rebuilt.<\/p>\n

Verdict: Wake me up when September ends.<\/p>\n

Backup GKs: <\/strong>Finn Dahmen \/ Alexander N\u00fcbel. Neither the Augsburg man nor the perpetual Bayern loanee appeared. Not a great sign for N\u00fcbel, but overall, verdict unknown.<\/p>\n

LB Maximilian Mittelst\u00e4dt (VfB Stuttgart):<\/strong> Mittelst\u00e4dt was a revelation at Germany\u2019s long-shaky left-back position but he can\u2019t seem to own the spot. A move to the back three would likely not improve his chances. He had a fairly solid game against Slovakia, having to play both flanks. His trademark of getting to the byline and floating a cross ten thousand feet into the air\u2026well, that is perhaps not the most convincing of Germany\u2019s tactics.<\/p>\n

LB David Raum (RB Leipzig)<\/strong>: Raum hasn\u2019t grabbed hold of the left-back spot either. The Leipzig man whipped in a terrific cross against Northern Ireland to set up the second goal but will need to be a lot more consistent to inspire confidence.<\/p>\n

\"COLOGNE,<\/a>\"BRATISLAVA,<\/a>PreviousNext<\/p>\n

1\/2<\/strong>COLOGNE, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 07: David Raum of Germany takes a shot during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Germany and Northern Ireland at RheinEnergieStadion on September 07, 2025 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Boris Streubel\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n

CM Leon Goretzka (FC Bayern)<\/strong>: It\u2019s a comeback story that Goretzka is in the fold at all after missing out on EURO 2024 and battling just to get on the field at Bayern. It\u2019s a good sign that Nagelsmann is deploying him, and in a variety of roles too. He didn\u2019t make a great impact but should get more chances.<\/p>\n

CM Pascal Gro\u00df (Borussia Dortmund):<\/strong> The 34-year-old put in a solid if unspectacular shift against Northern Ireland, which seems to show he at least still figures in Nagelsmann\u2019s plans \u2014 while the same could not be said, based on the evidence of these two games, about potential midfield partner Andrich.<\/p>\n

FW Paul Nebel (Mainz 05):<\/strong> The 22-year-old winger did not appear. He gets a pass this time \u2014 it was his first national team call-up and it\u2019s hard to ding him for not having a chance to debut at all given the nature of the games and the seniority of the players ahead of him. Surely, though, he is on the bubble at this time.<\/p>\n

Wow\u2026Germany was on the ropes vs. Northern Ireland, but a strong second half effort helped Julian Nagelsmann\u2019s team pull away for a 3-1 victory.<\/p>\n

It was ugly at times and desperate at others, but this was somehow a must win match for a squad that was absolutely reeling after getting stomped out by Slovakia earlier in the week. The Germans absolutely needed this victory and it could have been disastrous had things not turned around in the latter stages of the game.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get into it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works \u2014 Postgame Show:<\/p>\n