Having beaten Scotland 5-1 and then Hungary 2-0 from their first two group stage matches at EURO 2024, Germany have already clinched their advancement to the knockout stages and they sit atop group A with 6pts and a significantly superior goal difference to everyone else in the group. As the format is laid out, the four best third place teams after group play will go on to the knockouts, so Julian Nagelsmann has stressed that he would like the end group play on a high note to ensure they finish in the group’s top spot so that they will wind up playing one of said third placed teams that winds up advancing.
Naturally, having already booked their place in the round of 16, there is the natural inclination to expect at least a handful of rotations to the starting lineup from Nagelsmann. He will want to strike an intrinsic balance between keeping Germany’s emphatic momentum going while also preserving the legs and energy levels of the key players in the squad. For Sunday’s encounter against Switzerland in Frankfurt, it looks like at least one of the changes could come in Germany’s backline.
Per information from Abendzeitung’s Maximilian Koch (via @iMiaSanMia), Nagelsmann was seen having a lengthy discussion with Borussia Dortmund center back Nico Schlotterbeck after Germany’s most recent training and recovery session. Slotting him in the back line would make sense, too, as both Antonio Rüdiger and Johnathan Tah have both received a yellow card in group play and could run the risk of missing out on the round of 16 match if they were to pickup another yellow against Switzerland.
Per UEFA’s rules for the EUROs, two yellow cards during group play can result in a one-match suspension, though those counts are wiped out as of the quarterfinals stage of the competition. Playing either Tah or Rüdiger would surely be a calculated risk from Nagelsmann if he does decide to deputize one of them. Either way, Schlotterbeck is the natural replacement for either one of the center backs despite having not played a minute at the EUROs yet.