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Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Germany’s 2-0 loss to France; BVB’s Jamie Gittens not consistent enough for Bayern Munich; Bayern midfield too crowded for Angelo Stiller; Hansi Flick eyeing former Bayern star for FC Barcelona; and MORE!

Germany did not have a great showing...

Germany v France - UEFA Nations League 2025 Third Place Match Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Die Folgen: Germany’s 2-0 loss to France (Bavarian Football Works)

Germany and France hit the pitch to battle it out in a game that neither really wanted to be in — the third place match of the UEFA Nations League.

For Germany, to make this stage was an achievement of sorts (considering how low it had been in recent years), but for France, it was more of a necessary evil. That said, Germany did not exactly light the world on fire with its performances and was outplayed by France during a 2-0 defeat for the Germans.

There is much to discuss, so let’s get to it. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

  • As promised, Julian Nagelsmann had changes to his lineup both in his formation and personnel. Let’s check it out:
  • Nagelsmann rolled with a 4-4-2, which made sense on some levels for this particular match, but was also a stark reminder that the head coach has a history of changing from game to game and day to day. The Tinker Man is back, baby! Anyway, Nagelsmann started Niclas Füllkrug and Nick Woltemade as a tandem up top with Leon Goretzka and Pascal Groß as central midfielders, who were tasked with trying to clog up the middle and to provide more support in front of the backline. Florian Wirtz and Karim Adeyemi started as the outside midfielders, while Jonathan Tah, Robin Koch, David Raum, and Joshua Kimmich formed the defense in front of Marc-André ter Stegen.
  • The thought process was sound for the formation and the personnel, but France is...crazy. They just play at a furious pace.
  • France transitions so damn quickly and fearlessly. It must be so uneasy to play against them as a defender.
  • Woltemade has a ton of potential, but it was evident — again — that he was not on the same page as his teammates and not efficient enough in front of the goal.
  • In the 21st minute Rayan Cherki ripped a shot that went through the legs of Raum and tested Ter Stegen mightily. The ensuing corner also saw a header for Ter Stegen to come up big. If there is anything to take out of these past two games, it is that Ter Stegen looks “back.”
  • In the 24th minute — under extreme duress — Woltemade and Adeyemi hooked up for a great chance that was turned aside by Mike Maignan.
  • At the time, it felt like Germany was reluctant to take many chances going forward because the possession allowed them to stay off their heels for a bit.
  • Adrien Rabiot’s career arc from petulant youngster to key player for France is kind of wild. He always had talent, but attitude, work ethic, bad career advice, etc. always seemed to plague him.
  • The two biggest “stars” in this game — Florian Wirtz and Kylian Mbappé — did not do much to assert themselves early on.
  • Adeyemi was a big problem for France at times and almost drew a PK (VAR would rule against it and earn Adeyemi a yellow card for diving) when Maignan closed down on him after contact from Lucas Hernández. Adeyemi was finding the space behind France’s backline, which was not always ample. The issue for Adeyemi was when he got his foot on the ball (which often resulted in too big of a touch). That is probably why he is normally a sub.
  • The first half, while fast-paced and sometimes fun, had to be nerve wracking for both teams. France, though, would break through when a diagonal cross from Aurélien Tchouaméni evaded a leaping Joshua Kimmich, landed on the foot of Mbappé, who took a touch inside from the left-side, ripped a shot that got around Kimmich, and was hit with a glancing blow from Ter Stegen before finding its way into the net.
  • Just minutes earlier, Mbappé flubbed a good chance, so you could say he made up for it.
  • That is how the frenetic first half would end. France just has a way of wearing down its opponents.
  • Mbappé blew a relatively easy chance in the 47th minute that would have buried Germany early in the second half. His attempt went into the side netting, though.
  • In the 53rd minute, a collision between Füllkrug and Rabiot deep in France’s own end resulted in a turnover, which found France’s entire backline and goalkeeper out of position. Deniz Undav, who came on at halftime for Woltemade, scooped up the loose ball and put it into the net to know the game...temporarily. VAR wiped another goal off the scoreboard for Germany as it was ruled that Füllkrug’s contact was a foul.
  • In the 59th minute, Marcus Thuram hit the post as Germany started to gamble more and leave a lot of gaps, which opened things up for counter-attacks. Later in the half, Ter Stegen would make a great save on Thuram as well.
  • Hernández and Tah were assessed yellow cards for nearly igniting a fracas.
  • You know...Wirtz just did not do enough in either of these two games. Maybe his role was a problem (playing out wide) on Sunday, but it seems to knock him off of his game. He seemed to make far more mistakes and was often detached from the match.
  • In the 64th minute, Füllkrug should have put home a header to knot the game, but his attempt went over the crossbar.
  • In the 65th minute, Bayern Munich signee Tom Bischof made his first team debut and instantly made an impact with his energy, pressing, and tackling.
  • Ter Stegen was awesome in this match. He made another tough stop on Mbappé in the 82nd minute.
  • Another breakdown from Germany, would lead to Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, who came on as a sub, scoring in the 85th minute to ice the game.
  • Overall, this iteration of Germany’s squad was just not good enough and was not coached well enough to win either of the two games. It does not mean that it cannot or will not get better, but it does mean that things need to improve.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

Gittens not consistent enough for Bayern (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)

Bayern Munich has been linked with Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens several times in recent months, but his performances were not consistent enough for Bayern’s liking:

Jamie Gittens has always been on the list at Bayern Munich. However, he didn’t have such a consistent season in 2024/25. So, the €65m asking price Dortmund are looking for – although it may be achievable for Premier League clubs – is too much for Bayern. Bayern need a player who is consistently playing at a very high level.

So, Gittens wasn’t at the top of the shortlist. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be hard for the club to see Jamie Gittens move to the Premier League. Indeed, this is a move the England international has always signalled that he’s open to. With that in mind, Chelsea is a big option for Gittens, and I think this could be the logical next step.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 7, Episode 49 (Bavarian Football Works)

The UEFA Nations League is over and now the focus will start to shift back to Bayern Munich’s offseason wheelings-and-dealings, along with the organization’s quest to win the lucrative Club World Cup tournament.

Clearly, we have a lot of ground to cover. Let’s get to it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:

  • Final thoughts on Germany’s two losses.
  • Thomas Tuchel slammed his squad after England’s 1-0 victory over Andorra.
  • Bayern Munich has paid to get Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof early...now what?
  • Bayern Munich could now be back to looking at Chelsea FC’s Christopher Nkunku.
  • With Germany’s games out of the way, should we expect a quick decision from Leroy Sané?

Flick to add old charge to Barca? (Football Espana)

Ivan Perišić was a vital pickup during Bayern Munich’s treble-winning 2019/2020 season — and Hansi Flick has not forgotten. After a stellar campaign with PSV Eindhoven, Flick might be thinking of a reunion with the Croatian veteran:

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz has dropped multiple hints over his interest in a move to Barcelona despite Arne Slot’s desire to keep him on Merseyside.

However, Flick could make a left-field call, with reports from Mundo Deportivo claiming he wants to bring in 36-year-old Ivan Perisic as a free agent, after missing out on him in 2024.

Flick has utilised his relationship with Robert Lewandowski to great effect as the pair revived their link from Bayern Munich.

Lewandowski ended the 2024/25 season with his best numbers as a Barcelona player and Flick believes Perisic could add huge experience to his squad.

The Croatia international completed a move to PSV Eindhoven last summer and he netted 18 goals in all competitions as they overhauled Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie title race.

There is no indication either way that he will sign a renewal in the Netherlands and he could be tempted by joining Flick and Lewandowski in Catalonia.

Bayern midfield too crowded to add Stiller (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)

As much as some folks might want to see a past wrong be turned right, Bayern Munich will not pursue VfB Stuttgart midfielder — and former Bayern academy player — Angelo Stiller.

That will not be happening, mostly because of Bayern Munich’s already crowded midfield group:

Angelo Stiller isn’t a serious topic for Bayern Munich at the present moment. This is because they’re hardly short of midfielders, including the likes of Leon Goretzka and João Palhinha, who still want to stay at Bayern despite the club clearly signalling they’d be happy to let the pair leave. There’s also the impending arrival of Tom Bischof, who is with the national team at the moment.

Bayern Munich are aware that Stiller is a very good player but they won’t be pushing to sign him this summer. At the moment, Real Madrid’s interest should be taken seriously, as Xabi Alonso likes the midfielder. That said, they’ve yet to make contact with Stuttgart. There are rumours that they want to make a bid now of €50m. We’ll have to see if this indeed comes to fruition. Regardless, FC Bayern won’t be facing Real Madrid in the transfer poker for Angelo Stiller.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 4, Episode 46 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich is prepping for the Club World Cup, while also exploring what moves it can make to bolster its roster. The German national team is licking its wounds and looking to regroup in time for Sunday’s third-place match.

This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:

  • Germany’s loss to Portugal showed that the squad is not yet ready for prime time...but does that mean it cannot get there in time for the 2026 World Cup? Nope, so let us tell you why.
  • Jonathan Tah’s performance vs. Portugal did not exactly change anyone’s mind, who thinks he is...just a guy.
  • Joshua Kimmich led by example with his heart, fight, and hustle, but did he fail at helping prevent the team from unraveling?
  • Can Julian Nagelsmann stop himself from over-tinkering?
  • Bayern Munich will soon begin its preparation for the Club World Cup. What storylines should we be watching for?
  • Have we reached the point where the professional football schedule for club and international play has just become too much?

Min-jae...to LFC? (CaughtOffside)

Could Kim Min-jae leave Bayern Munich for Liverpool FC? Maybe:

Liverpool are one of the clubs exploring a potential transfer move for Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae this summer, CaughtOffside understands.

Although a final decision has not yet been made on Kim’s future, the growing feeling among sources close to the situation is that the South Korea international will be allowed to leave.

Bayern’s asking price for Kim is also understood to have dropped from around €50m to more like €35m, while the player himself is also keen to move on.

Sources have informed CaughtOffside that a move to the Premier League would be the 28-year-old’s preference if he does leave the Allianz Arena.

Palhinha’s salary could be issue for his exit (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)

Tell us where you have heard this one before — Bayern Munich wants to sell a player, but the player is making too much money to be attractive to other clubs and really might not want to leave anyway:

At the moment, it doesn’t seem like João Palhinha is willing to leave. He’s determined to show that he’s good enough for Bayern Munich and, you know, he’s earning a lot of money. I don’t think Benfica can pay this. I think the only solution would be a return to the Premier League. That said, much in a similar vein to Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka – the clear signal to Bayern is that they don’t want to leave.

For Bayern, Fulham was a more concrete option because head coach Marco Silva is a big fan of the player. However, everyone knows that Bayern won’t get back the money they paid (a deal worth up to €56m).

It’s worth bearing in mind that we’re still early on in the summer. I think Palhinha will be a story that needs time to develop. When the head coach, Vincent Kompany, signals that there’ll be no chance for the Portuguese international next season, he’ll be forced to give this a serious think. There’s a World Cup year coming up, and so João Palhinha will be keen to show that he can play for Portugal. This may very well prompt him to be more open to a move away from the club.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show: Germany 1-2 Portugal (Bavarian Football Works)

Germany hosted Portugal at the Allianz Arena in the UEFA Nations League semifinals and was outdone by a quality Portuguese side that used a second half surge to snatch a 2-1 victory away from a stunned German team.

A goal from Florian Wirtz kicked off the action, but Portugal ultimately seized the moment. Let’s talk about all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Work — Postgame Show. This is what we have on tap:

  • A look at the starting XI and the decisions that Julian Nagelsmann made.
  • A rundown of the scoring and substitutions. Did Nagelsmann rip the momentum from his squad?
  • Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match, including the remarkable progress that the German national team has made under Julian Nagelsmann.

Looking to seize the moment? (Cadena SER via ESPN)

FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal might be the hottest player in the world and reportedly wants to be paid more than Robert Lewandowski:

During contract talks, Lamine Yamal has told Barcelona he wants to become their highest-paid player — eclipsing the €16m net paid to Robert Lewandowski.

Villa to jump in running for Cherki? (L’Equipe via ESPN)

Manchester City might be the leader in the race for Rayan Cherki, but Aston Villa could be a shock entrant into the race:

Aston Villa could join the race to sign Rayan Cherki from Lyon. The 21-year-old forward is also tracked by Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 7, Episode 48 (Bavarian Football Works)

Want some more Bayern Munich and German national team chatter? Awesome, because the Bavarian Podcast Works Show is here to fill that void for you. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:

  • Leon Goretzka expected to start for Germany vs. Portugal.
  • Julian Nagelsmann almost made the move back to Bayern Munich. How close did he get? Pretty darn close it seems.
  • Does Bayern Munich really need to go big at left wing? Rafael Leão, Cody Gakpo, Eberechi Eze, and Kaoru Mitoma are all reportedly on the table, but can Bayern Munich really get any of them?
  • Fit is everything — Timo Werner and Jadon Sancho are rich, but should be cautionary tales on how to manage a career path for young footballers.

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