Germany, Switzerland's last opponent in the preliminary round on Sunday, thrives on captain Ilkay Gündogan. The 33-year-old is developing from a shaky candidate into the second playmaker alongside Toni Kroos.
19.06.2024, 20:52
19.06.2024, 21:06
SDA
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- Germany beat Hungary 2:0 and are already through to the round of 16.
- Captain Ilkay Gündogan is voted "Man of the Match".
- There was a lot of discussion about Gündogan's role before the European Championship. The "Man of the Match" silences his critics.
Ilkay Gündogan - not Manuel Neuer with his saves or Jamal Musiala - was named "best player of the match". Gündogan shone in the host nation's first two European Championship games - much more than he had done before. Against Hungary, he set up the 1:0 with a ball recovery (close to a foul); he scored the second goal himself. He had already set up the 2-0 against Scotland with a brilliant through pass. And before making it 3-0, he scored the foul penalty and red card against Scotland's Ryan Porteous.
"It feels like it's getting better and better," said Ilkay Gündogan after the 2-0 win against Hungary. "But as we improve, there are always situations where we come under pressure. That's normal."
Gündogan was alluding to the German team's unconvincing first half. But things are also getting better for him personally. There was a lot of discussion about Julian Nagelsmann's captain before the tournament. The 33-year-old looked tired after an exhausting season in Barcelona. His permanent place in the attacking department was called into question. Especially as he is still lacking major successes with the national team. Gündogan's role also changed with the return of Toni Kroos.
He himself likes the new role: "I am the first servant of the team. I never complained when my role in the team changed. I wanted to respond with performance. I'm happy that I can be the improver for my teammates."
