Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed satisfaction but also pointed out areas for improvement following his team’s emphatic 4-0 win over Luxembourg in World Cup qualifiers.
The result saw Germany climb to the top of their qualifying group, with goals from Joshua Kimmich and David Raum leading the charge at the PreZero Arena.
Speaking after the match via the team’s official media, Nagelsmann admitted that while the performance was dominant, it wasn’t without flaws.
Not everything was perfect,
he said.
We were determined to be spiteful and greedy. We could have scored a few more goals with our dominance.
Having the advantage in numbers didn’t help much because the pitch became tighter. It was a deserved win, and we needed it.
The German coach praised his team’s pressure and energy, shown in the game, particularly their quick recoveries after losing possession of the ball.
I liked how we got the ball back quickly so we didn’t have to keep building up from the back.
From the 70th minute onwards, we held onto the ball for too long, but then we increased the passing frequency, and things improved again.
he explained.
Nagelsmann singled out Serge Gnabry for special praise, calling him “a role model” for his defensive transitions.
His sprint back into defense was excellent — that’s the kind of attitude you need, even against Luxembourg
he noted.
The coach also highlighted the cohesion between players from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, suggesting that club-level chemistry benefits the national setup.
The Bayern and Dortmund players form two stable blocks. Even if that can’t always be applied to the national team, it’s better when players play together a lot at club level. Then parts of the team are in flow.
he said.
Looking ahead, Nagelsmann warned that Germany’s next opponents, Northern Ireland, will pose a different challenge.
They play a lot of long balls that are difficult to defend. It’s hard to press them, and it will be difficult in front of their fans
he cautioned.
We need the same fervor we showed today.
The result provided Germany with the boost they needed after recent setbacks, as Nagelsmann continues to mold his the team into a cohesive, confident unit ahead of the next round of qualifiers.
