Bundesliga
Germany have gone unbeaten on their way to the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League Final Four tournament, where Portugal await in the semi-finals. bundesliga.com explains why Julian Nagelsmann's side won't stop there...
1) Nailed-on with Nagelsmann?
It took a little time to come together, like any good thing, but a year after kicking off, the Nagelsmann era is looking increasingly like a golden one for the Germany national team. Two defeats and a draw in his opening four matches made Naglesmann pause to think, but the 37-year-old has since shown he has both the tactical brains and motivational spirit to thrive in the tricky environment of international coaching.
A 2-0 friendly win in France in March 2024 marked the first of a 17-match sequence without a regulation-time defeat, the narrow extra-time loss against Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals being the only dampener. In the 2024/25 Nations League, Nagelsmann's charges are eight games unbeaten (W5, D3).
Nagelsmann masterfully channeled the expectations of the German public when, as the Euro 2024 host nation, a strong campaign was desperately wanted. Although there were many challenges, he got his players playing with a freedom that won them a place in the hearts of the nation. Seamlessly taking that momentum into the Nations League campaign despite the international retirement of four experienced internationals and three 2014 World Cup winners - plus a lengthy injury list in the October international break - is perhaps an even greater achievement.
His "unbelievable energy and spirit" has been praised by DFB president Bernd Neuendorf, and Nagelsmann will be hugely motivated to get a second major trophy to add to his 2021/22 Bundesliga crown when the Nations League concludes on 8 June 2025.
2) Strength in depth
The recent challenges for Naglesmann have exposed a big asset - the huge wealth of talent he has at his disposal, ready to perform on the international stage. With the aforementioned raft of absences when Germany faced Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands in October, there were question-marks as to how his new-look side would get on.
But no-one need have worried. The serene confidence continued despite the enforced changes, and Germany clinched a 2-1 win in Bosnia thanks to a brace from Deniz Undav, a player whose form for VfB Stuttgart saw him enter the Germany picture. Debutant keeper Oliver Baumann then kept a clean sheet as Germany beat the Netherlands 1-0, with the winning goal remarkably also coming from a player making his first start - Jamie Leweling. Angelo Stiller and Aleksandar Pavlović formed a useful pairing in defensive midfield, while the more experienced Tim Kleindienst showed he was worthy of a spot in attack on his first call-up to the squad.
Kleindienst started his third consecutive game for his country in the return fixture against Bosnia in Freiburg, and contributed two goals in Germany's 7-0 rout in the Nations League, making it three wins in a row for the first time in the tournament. The Borussia Mönchengladbach striker backed that up with goals in both legs of the Nations League quarter-final win over Italy, with recalled Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka also on target in the absence of the more attack-minded Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz.
What a bonus it must be for Nagelsmann to know that, whoever might get injured or lose form over the remiander of the season, there will be someone ready to step up when called on in the Final Four.
3) Jewels in the crown
Germany can be content with their quality all over the pitch, but there is one area they really excel right now: the playmaking department, with young marvels Jamal Musiala and Wirtz Nagelsmannn's winning hand.
Watch: The best of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz
The pair of tricksters can be unplayable at times, and there are signs they are growing even stronger. Musiala had six goals in five matches for Bayern Munich going into the November international break - the kind of form that reopened the puzzlement that he was not on the shortlist for this season's Ballon d'Or. He also teed up no fewer than three goals, while scoring one of his own, in Germany's 5-0 Nations League win in Hungary.
Meanwhile, Wirtz has bagged three goals and three assists in his last six appearances for Germany, and although he was absent against Italy, he will doubtless be raring to bring his talents to bear in the last four and beyond.
Having dependable world-class players like these two young superstars could prove extremely valuable as Germany bid to go all the way.
4) Feel-good factor, back on home turf
Haven't we been here before? Germany defied muted Euro 2024 expectations to become the feelgood hits of the summer and, despite suffering heartache in the knockout stages, rode the wave of momentum for success...
The big hope has to be that 2024 follows the blueprint of 2006, when Germany's original summer fairytale saw the World Cup hosts edged out by Italy in the semi-finals - but go on to apply themselves to making the final few yards to tournament glory. The progress was clear as they became beaten finalists in Euro 2008 and enjoyed a strong 2010 World Cup, yet a tournament victory proved elusive until a glorious 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The period 2016 to 2022 marked a barren period for the Germany national team, with two successive World Cup group stage exits. What better way could there be of marking what has all the hallmarks of a new upwards spiral - with the 2026 World Cup moving onto the horizion - than Nations League victory in 2025?
Nagelsmann has summed up the current spirit by saying: "We've got the ambition to keep going. There's a supercharged atmosphere in the dressing room – they want to win."
The Nations League Final Four tournament will also be staged in Germany, with Munich and Stuttgart each hosting a semi-final, as well as the final and third-placed match respectively.
5) Penalty precision
Germany topped their Nations League group with four wins and two draws, before winning in Italy and drawing their quarter-final home leg. Interestingly, it was two of four quarter-final ties not to be decided on penalties - the other being the fixture between Denmark and Germany's semi-final opponents Portugal.
Should things get tight in the Final Four, history suggests Germany can be counted on to hold their nerves from the spot. Die Nationalelf have won every one of their six penalty shootouts dating back to 1976...