Rudiger: Pillar holding up the sky in the middle of a stormy night for the German national team

Signal Iduna Park became a highlight once again when water on the roof leaked again, and fans were soaked when they chose the wrong location. What scared and scared the fans the most was the sound of thunder continuously “hitting” in all four directions. But with the strong and courageous “aura” of Antonio Rudiger, German fans felt safe and happy on a stormy night.

Germany had 3 heroes in their 2-0 victory over Denmark in the 1/8 round of EURO 2024. First was Kai Havertz with the opening goal. A commendable match for the striker playing for Arsenal Club, and he proved why he was given the starting role even though Niclas Fullkrug is also excellent and is a true striker. Before Denmark, Havertz had many situations where he coordinated well with the surrounding “satellites” to create many great threats for the away team. Today, Germany’s virtual number 9 really played effectively. He left the biggest impression when he accurately took the penalty kick in the 53rd minute to help Germany calm down and play more comfortably.

The second name is Musiala. In the last match, Bayern’s young star was asked by coach Nagelsmann to play inside to give defender David Raum space to advance to support the attack. In fact, this is the way of kicking that prevents Musiala’s qualities from being maximized because he is strong in his ability to break through, escape and finish. But Musiala’s retreat into the middle helped make Germany’s attack sharper and more numerous, forcing the Danish defense to stretch to defend. That was the surprise that Nagelsmann  “gave” to his opponent.

And a great player always knows how to shine when needed. This time, also coming from the middle – the area where Musiala was forced to operate, he maximized his ability by escaping extremely quickly to catch a long pass from midfielder Nico Schlotterbeck, then calmly hit the ball. defeated Kasper Schmeichel to seal Germany’s victory in the 68th minute.

Musiala had a good match even when he wasn’t playing to his strengths – Photo: Getty

Praising Musiala, praising Havertz and admiring Nagelsmann’s sharp “head”, we must also be grateful to Antonio Rudiger. Rudiger’s spirit is the guiding light for the German team. As for professionalism, there is no need to discuss, the Champions League champion showed excellent performance in the win over Denmark to receive the Best Player of the Match award. Rudiger’s class has helped the German defense stand firm in the absence of a tall midfielder, but he cannot compare in class and bravery, Jonathan Tah. In any big team, you need a “crazy person” like that.

In the past, MU had Roy Keane, Arsenal had Vieira, Bayern Munich had Stefan Effenberg and Oliver Kahn; Real Madrid still has Sergio Ramos… Those are the star leaders and leaders of the team. They will always be the ones to motivate, scold, shout, curse or even rush to “treat” the opponent, as long as the home team has an advantage and wins. Rudiger is like that now. He doesn’t need to wear the captain’s armband like Manuel Neuer, but the players in the German national team and Nagelsmann clearly understand how much they need the former Chelsea and Roma player.

In 90 minutes on the field, Real Madrid’s midfielder successfully cleared the ball 4 times, blocked 4 opponent’s shots, had 100% successful duels both on the ground and in the air, and passed the ball successfully. 55/63 times and there was an opening that led to a scoring opportunity for Germany. What more can you ask for from a centre-back in a crucial knockout match?

Rudiger’s impressive celebration moment in the win over Denmark – Photo: Twitter

But statistics do not fully express Rudiger’s importance. The 31-year-old midfielder’s fiery spirit, certainty in every play and experienced playing style have helped his teammates become more confident. Or to put it bluntly, Rudiger makes the juniors more confident and confident. Nico Schlotterbeck himself played with fire and incredible accuracy when paired with his senior. Dortmund’s midfielder faces a lot of pressure when he has to replace Jonathan Tah, who is suspended for this match. But when encouraged and motivated by Rudiger, Schlotterbeck showed that he was Nagelsmann’s recommended choice in the next round. Simply because Schlotterbeck will provide good support and reasonable cover for Rudiger rather than a Tah who likes to use force and has poor judgment.

Rudiger has played without missing a minute since the beginning of EURO 2024. In the match against Switzerland in the final round of the group stage, Rudiger suffered a thigh strain injury. All worries and prayers are given to Rudiger because if he stops playing and Tah is absent due to suspension, Germany’s chances of beating Denmark will be greatly reduced. But in the end, Rudiger returned and  had his best performance against Denmark.

“We still have three finals ahead,” Rudiger announced ambitiously after making a major contribution to bringing Germany to the quarterfinals. With a group of players possessing a certain excitement, Germany has made the best preparations to overcome the “Super First Branch” to return to Berlin to play the final match on July 14.