Goretzka: The comeback star of the DFB-Elf in the National League semi-final!

Goretzka: The comeback star of the DFB-Elf in the National League semi-final!

München, Deutschland - Leon Goretzka looks full of anticipation and gratitude for the upcoming semi -finals in the Nations League against Portugal, which will kick off this evening in Munich at 9:00 p.m. The 28-year-old player, who fought back after more than 16 months without international matches, described his return to the national team as "a very nice story" and apologized to the fans for his absence. ZVW reports .

Goretzka remembered his only title with the German national soccer team, winning the Confederations Cup 2017 under coach Joachim Löw. He sees parallels between this competition and the Nations League, since both competitions are often considered secondary. In the 2017 semi -finals, Goretzka threw two goals against Mexico and was named player of the game.

role in the team and comeback

The national coach Julian Nagelsmann plans to use Goretzka in a more offensive role, similar to Ilkay Gündogan at the European Championship. This is accommodating Goretzka, who for a long time only acted as a replacement at his FC Bayern Munich association and missed the home European Championship. The return to the national team is an important step for him, and the upcoming game against Portugal will represent its 60th international.

The game against Italy on Sunday in Dortmund, like today's game, is considered important, with Germany going to the quarter-final secondary as a favorite. Goretzka was already able to show his qualities in other games, such as when victory against Italy, where he scored the decisive goal to 2-1 in the 76th minute. BR reports .

statistics and outlook

Goretzka has played in the German national team for over 10 years and is therefore part of a small group of players who cross this period. Only 52 players have actively represented the national team for more than 10 years. The previous statistical report provides information about some record -breaking players, such as Lothar Matthäus, who holds the highest record with 150 missions. Wikipedia provides further interesting details about the previous ones Play results.

With his revenue in the national team and a clear role, Goretzka sees the future optimistic and hopes that he can contribute to the stability and strength of the team. The fans, on the other hand, look forward to seeing him again on the square and are looking forward to the next games in the Nations League.