Germany scored 5 goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but three were disallowed. On the surface, Nagelsmann’s team looked dynamic, aggressive, and ruthless.
Still, questions remain about their central forwards. Tim Kleindienst made his debut at nearly 30 years old, so he’s not likely a long-term option.
Deniz Undav scored twice and nearly had a hat-trick, but he’s 28. He’s been with the team for six months and even played briefly at Euro 2024.
Then there’s Jonathan Burkardt, a less familiar name. Many fans likely asked, “Who is this?” when they saw the Mainz striker on the field for Germany.
At Euro 2024, Germany’s attack already a concern. Nagelsmann picked five strikers: Maximilian Bayer, Niklas Füllkrug, Kai Havertz, Thomas Müller, and Deniz Undav.
However, Havertz and Müller have spent most of their careers playing deeper roles. The plan? Push Havertz forward and hope for the best.
Havertz started every game, with Füllkrug, a more typical striker, often left on the bench, despite his strong season at Borussia Dortmund.
Germany lost to Spain in the quarterfinals, and while they seemed structured, they only scored more than two goals once, in their opening game against Scotland.
Havertz ended the tournament with two goals, not enough for a team of Germany’s caliber.
Shortage of central forwards traces back to the Joachim Löw era. Between 1996 and 2010, Germany scored 50 goals across four major tournaments.
After the 2014 World Cup, only 32 goals were scored in five tournaments, including Euro 2024. Why focus on 2014? That year, Miroslav Klose, Germany’s last great striker, retired from international play.
Many believe the decline in German center forwards began around 2010. Germany lost to Spain in the World Cup that year, where Spain played without a traditional striker and still succeeded.
Löw seemed inspired by this model, calling up only Klose and Podolski for 2014 World Cup. He also used Götze as a false nine, and Germany went on to win the tournament. After that, the classic center forward fell out of favor.
German journalist Konstantin Ekner noted: “When you look at youth teams, you see many talented wingers and playmakers, but very few high-quality center forwards.” It’s hard for young players to develop as true strikers in the Bundesliga. Germany recognizes this problem, but change takes time, and results will take even longer.
