Credit: Tung Manh Phan

Cameron Smith

Sat 28 March 2026 7:10, UK

Leeds United‘s Anton Stach still has a way to go when it comes to convincing Julian Nagelsmann of a spot in the Germany squad.

Germany beat neighbours Switzerland 4-3 on Friday, with Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz shining – registering two assists and scoring twice.

However, it was not the most coherent performance overall, with Nagelsmann’s side often struggling for control in midfield, before Wirtz made the match his own in the second half.

Leeds man Stach was only able to enter the pitch with 10 minutes of the 90 remaining, replacing Leon Goretzka.

Potentially highlighting the pecking order among the group, Nagelsmann continued to stick with the Bayern man in midfield, despite putting in somewhat of a horror show performance – showing that Stach still has a way to go when it comes to finding a consistent spot.

Anton Stach almost went ignored despite Leon Goretzka horror show

With Toni Kroos retiring upon Germany’s Euro 2024 exit, the spots in the midfield have been a big talking point heading into this summer’s World Cup.

Against Switzerland on Friday, Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller started alongside the experienced Goretzka, though only one was able to grab any real control of the encounter – unsurprisingly given the talents of Stiller.

As a midfielder, Goretzka has often been more of a Swiss Army Knife type player, and never the all-action controller that Stiller now is, but at times he looked lost as Germany made the short trip south of the border.

Coming on for the final 10 minutes of the 90, Stach made his first appearance for the national team since 2022, just weeks after Nagelsmann confusingly commented on his apparent defensive weakness.

Goretzka was neither defensively comfortable nor as influential on the ball as Stach can be, showing that the Leeds man still has a lot to prove, given his lack of minutes despite the spot calling for his name throughout the encounter.

Leeds fans are not alone with Julian Nagelsmann criticism

After a more successful Euro 2024 campaign restored much of the positivity across Germany following two subsequent World Cup group stage exits, the energy has sapped under Nagelsmann since.

With the 2024 selection being based on form, he has seemingly reverted to type recently – often favouring reputation over performance.

Arsenal’s Kai Havertz was thrusted straight into the starting 11 on Friday, replaced by the struggling Nick Woltemade in the second period.

Meanwhile, Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav was ignored, despite scoring 23 times across all competitions this season.

At the same time, Koln wonderkid Said El Mala was ignored, alongside Maximilian Mittelstadt, Karim Adeyemi and more. While Chris Fuhrich and the aforementioned Stiller only received the call following injuries to Aleksandar Pavlovic and Felix Nmecha.

Leroy Sane, Goretzka, Pascal Gross and more have all been given free passes, making it even more baffling for those missing out.

Fans across the Bundesrepublik have remained critical of the current setup, and this is likely to remain the case heading into the summer.

Stach, along with others, still seems to have a lot to prove to Nagelsmann.