{"id":1857515,"date":"2026-03-27T22:36:44","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1857515"},"modified":"2026-03-27T22:36:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:36:44","slug":"florian-wirtz-inspires-germany-past-switzerland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1857515","title":{"rendered":"Florian Wirtz inspires Germany past Switzerland"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76573489_6.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B93O<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
Florian Wirtz (in the air) delivered his best every Germany performance in a seven-goal thrillerImage: Steffie Wunderl\/BEAUTIFUL SPORTS\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Seven goals, 14 substitutions, no cards \u2014 there were\u00a0storylines aplenty in Germany’s<\/a> 4-3 friendly win over Switzerland in Basel on Friday night as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a> approach their final stage.<\/p>\n

With two and a half months until the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the focus is on who will make head coach Julian Nagelsmann<\/a>‘s final squad. But the first name on the team sheet will surely be Florian Wirtz, who delivered yet another masterclass with two goals and two assists\u00a0against the Swiss.<\/p>\n

Wirtz emerges as leader by example<\/h2>\n

Jonathan Tah’s<\/a> first-ever Germany goal came from a Wirtz cross. It was Wirtz who saw Serge Gnabry make the darting run through the middle for Germany’s second. The Liverpool man’s curling, dipping finish put Germany ahead the first time and a delicately placed finish on the edge of the box put them\u00a0ahead for the last time.<\/p>\n

Germany had won 4-3 and without Wirtz, they would have had nothing on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n

“Flo’s [Wirtz] goals were exceptional,” Nagelsmann told RTL<\/em> afterwards. “We know he is super creative.”<\/p>\n

“You saw his class today,” added midfielder Leon Goretzka. “You can see it from his first touch for his second goal, and to place the ball in the top corner like he did was superb.”<\/p>\n

Wirtz, 22, thrilled alongside Jamal Musiala at Euro 2024, prompting the combined nickname “Wusiala.”<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Germany needed a breakthrough in a tough World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland<\/a>, it was Wirtz who found it. When Germany needed a big result against Slovakia<\/a>, it was Wirtz who helped get them going.<\/p>\n

While the start to his Liverpool career<\/a> was bumpy, he has since found his form in a side that remains somewhat inconsistent. But wearing Germany’s new dark blue away kit inspired by the country’s 1990s training tops, the man born in the following decade proved why he is becoming a leader by example.<\/p>\n

“It probably was,” Wirtz said\u00a0when asked if this was his best Germany game.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the part that Nagelsmann will be most impressed with will be the impact Wirtz’s performance had on his team. When he took control, his teammates appeared to respond. His performance lifted that of those around him. It got Germany back on their feet every time they were knocked down.<\/p>\n

“I’m not worried because we are really a good team with a really good defense,” Wirtz said. “You can see that we haven’t played together for a while but we have to work on that. I think all three goals were a bit preventable but it’s about winning and if we win by one more goal than the opposition then that’s also fine.”<\/p>\n

\"Germany's
Germany still looked shaky at the back, but were aided by a sharp attackImage: Pascal Kesselmark\/Just Pictures\/Sipa USA\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wirtz can’t stop defensive issues<\/h2>\n

Despite an impressive amount of tracking back, not even Wirtz could stop a remarkably efficient Swiss side which\u00a0finished the game with three goals from three shots on target.<\/p>\n

It was the kind of efficiency Germany could only dream of but, even if there was a touch of misfortune from Germany’s perspective, it was also a familiar sight to see Nagelsmann’s side struggle defensively.<\/p>\n

Germany’s build-up play left a lot to be desired, with Nico Schlotterbeck twice making mistakes that led to goals for the Swiss\u00a0\u2014 an unusually unconvincing performance which may lead Nagelsmann to revisit a defensive hierarchy in which the young Borussia Dortmund talisman appeared to have edged out Real Madrid veteran Antonio R\u00fcdiger.<\/p>\n

After all, for a side whose defense has been heavily criticized and deemed to be short of world-class quality in too many positions, errors in build-up play are a disaster. The 18th best side in the world proved as much, and left a reminder of what any of teams\u00a0inside the top 10 might do should Germany reach the latter stages of the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Havertz, Gnabry and Karl provide attacking options<\/h2>\n

Afterwards though, it didn’t feel like a night for musing over familiar defensive woes. Wirtz wrestled back the narrative and made it about the hope behind Germany’s attack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Two quick corners are also a\u00a0sign of a well-versed side. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, returning for the first time since November 2024, showed signs of a player finding form and fitness while Serge Gnabry, who scored a fine goal with the final kick of the first half, can be counted as a squad regular again. Gnabry’s young Bayern Munich<\/a> teammate, the highly rated wunderkind <\/em>Lennart Karl, made his Nationalmannschaft <\/em>debut off the bench in the second half.<\/p>\n

Some of the passing moves were slick and exciting to watch. And then there was Wirtz, the man who is making Germany fans dream big.<\/p>\n

Edited by: Matt Ford<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

\n

Seven goals, 14 substitutions, no cards \u2014 there were\u00a0storylines aplenty in Germany’s<\/a> 4-3 friendly win over Switzerland in Basel on Friday night as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a> approach their final stage.<\/p>\n

With two and a half months until the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the focus is on who will make head coach Julian Nagelsmann<\/a>‘s final squad. But the first name on the team sheet will surely be Florian Wirtz, who delivered yet another masterclass with two goals and two assists\u00a0against the Swiss.<\/p>\n

Wirtz emerges as leader by example<\/h2>\n

Jonathan Tah’s<\/a> first-ever Germany goal came from a Wirtz cross. It was Wirtz who saw Serge Gnabry make the darting run through the middle for Germany’s second. The Liverpool man’s curling, dipping finish put Germany ahead the first time and a delicately placed finish on the edge of the box put them\u00a0ahead for the last time.<\/p>\n

Germany had won 4-3 and without Wirtz, they would have had nothing on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n

“Flo’s [Wirtz] goals were exceptional,” Nagelsmann told RTL<\/em> afterwards. “We know he is super creative.”<\/p>\n

“You saw his class today,” added midfielder Leon Goretzka. “You can see it from his first touch for his second goal, and to place the ball in the top corner like he did was superb.”<\/p>\n

Wirtz, 22, thrilled alongside Jamal Musiala at Euro 2024, prompting the combined nickname “Wusiala.”<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Germany needed a breakthrough in a tough World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland<\/a>, it was Wirtz who found it. When Germany needed a big result against Slovakia<\/a>, it was Wirtz who helped get them going.<\/p>\n

While the start to his Liverpool career<\/a> was bumpy, he has since found his form in a side that remains somewhat inconsistent. But wearing Germany’s new dark blue away kit inspired by the country’s 1990s training tops, the man born in the following decade proved why he is becoming a leader by example.<\/p>\n

“It probably was,” Wirtz said\u00a0when asked if this was his best Germany game.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the part that Nagelsmann will be most impressed with will be the impact Wirtz’s performance had on his team. When he took control, his teammates appeared to respond. His performance lifted that of those around him. It got Germany back on their feet every time they were knocked down.<\/p>\n

“I’m not worried because we are really a good team with a really good defense,” Wirtz said. “You can see that we haven’t played together for a while but we have to work on that. I think all three goals were a bit preventable but it’s about winning and if we win by one more goal than the opposition then that’s also fine.”<\/p>\n

\"Germany's
Germany still looked shaky at the back, but were aided by a sharp attackImage: Pascal Kesselmark\/Just Pictures\/Sipa USA\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wirtz can’t stop defensive issues<\/h2>\n

Despite an impressive amount of tracking back, not even Wirtz could stop a remarkably efficient Swiss side which\u00a0finished the game with three goals from three shots on target.<\/p>\n

It was the kind of efficiency Germany could only dream of but, even if there was a touch of misfortune from Germany’s perspective, it was also a familiar sight to see Nagelsmann’s side struggle defensively.<\/p>\n

Germany’s build-up play left a lot to be desired, with Nico Schlotterbeck twice making mistakes that led to goals for the Swiss\u00a0\u2014 an unusually unconvincing performance which may lead Nagelsmann to revisit a defensive hierarchy in which the young Borussia Dortmund talisman appeared to have edged out Real Madrid veteran Antonio R\u00fcdiger.<\/p>\n

After all, for a side whose defense has been heavily criticized and deemed to be short of world-class quality in too many positions, errors in build-up play are a disaster. The 18th best side in the world proved as much, and left a reminder of what any of teams\u00a0inside the top 10 might do should Germany reach the latter stages of the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Havertz, Gnabry and Karl provide attacking options<\/h2>\n

Afterwards though, it didn’t feel like a night for musing over familiar defensive woes. Wirtz wrestled back the narrative and made it about the hope behind Germany’s attack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Two quick corners are also a\u00a0sign of a well-versed side. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, returning for the first time since November 2024, showed signs of a player finding form and fitness while Serge Gnabry, who scored a fine goal with the final kick of the first half, can be counted as a squad regular again. Gnabry’s young Bayern Munich<\/a> teammate, the highly rated wunderkind <\/em>Lennart Karl, made his Nationalmannschaft <\/em>debut off the bench in the second half.<\/p>\n

Some of the passing moves were slick and exciting to watch. And then there was Wirtz, the man who is making Germany fans dream big.<\/p>\n

Edited by: Matt Ford<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Seven goals, 14 substitutions, no cards \u2014 there were\u00a0storylines aplenty in Germany’s<\/a> 4-3 friendly win over Switzerland in Basel on Friday night as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a> approach their final stage.<\/p>\n

With two and a half months until the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the focus is on who will make head coach Julian Nagelsmann<\/a>‘s final squad. But the first name on the team sheet will surely be Florian Wirtz, who delivered yet another masterclass with two goals and two assists\u00a0against the Swiss.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Tah’s<\/a> first-ever Germany goal came from a Wirtz cross. It was Wirtz who saw Serge Gnabry make the darting run through the middle for Germany’s second. The Liverpool man’s curling, dipping finish put Germany ahead the first time and a delicately placed finish on the edge of the box put them\u00a0ahead for the last time.<\/p>\n

Germany had won 4-3 and without Wirtz, they would have had nothing on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n

“Flo’s [Wirtz] goals were exceptional,” Nagelsmann told RTL<\/em> afterwards. “We know he is super creative.”<\/p>\n

“You saw his class today,” added midfielder Leon Goretzka. “You can see it from his first touch for his second goal, and to place the ball in the top corner like he did was superb.”<\/p>\n

Wirtz, 22, thrilled alongside Jamal Musiala at Euro 2024, prompting the combined nickname “Wusiala.”<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Germany needed a breakthrough in a tough World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland<\/a>, it was Wirtz who found it. When Germany needed a big result against Slovakia<\/a>, it was Wirtz who helped get them going.<\/p>\n

While the start to his Liverpool career<\/a> was bumpy, he has since found his form in a side that remains somewhat inconsistent. But wearing Germany’s new dark blue away kit inspired by the country’s 1990s training tops, the man born in the following decade proved why he is becoming a leader by example.<\/p>\n

“It probably was,” Wirtz said\u00a0when asked if this was his best Germany game.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the part that Nagelsmann will be most impressed with will be the impact Wirtz’s performance had on his team. When he took control, his teammates appeared to respond. His performance lifted that of those around him. It got Germany back on their feet every time they were knocked down.<\/p>\n

“I’m not worried because we are really a good team with a really good defense,” Wirtz said. “You can see that we haven’t played together for a while but we have to work on that. I think all three goals were a bit preventable but it’s about winning and if we win by one more goal than the opposition then that’s also fine.”<\/p>\n

Despite an impressive amount of tracking back, not even Wirtz could stop a remarkably efficient Swiss side which\u00a0finished the game with three goals from three shots on target.<\/p>\n

It was the kind of efficiency Germany could only dream of but, even if there was a touch of misfortune from Germany’s perspective, it was also a familiar sight to see Nagelsmann’s side struggle defensively.<\/p>\n

Germany’s build-up play left a lot to be desired, with Nico Schlotterbeck twice making mistakes that led to goals for the Swiss\u00a0\u2014 an unusually unconvincing performance which may lead Nagelsmann to revisit a defensive hierarchy in which the young Borussia Dortmund talisman appeared to have edged out Real Madrid veteran Antonio R\u00fcdiger.<\/p>\n

After all, for a side whose defense has been heavily criticized and deemed to be short of world-class quality in too many positions, errors in build-up play are a disaster. The 18th best side in the world proved as much, and left a reminder of what any of teams\u00a0inside the top 10 might do should Germany reach the latter stages of the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Afterwards though, it didn’t feel like a night for musing over familiar defensive woes. Wirtz wrestled back the narrative and made it about the hope behind Germany’s attack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Two quick corners are also a\u00a0sign of a well-versed side. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, returning for the first time since November 2024, showed signs of a player finding form and fitness while Serge Gnabry, who scored a fine goal with the final kick of the first half, can be counted as a squad regular again. Gnabry’s young Bayern Munich<\/a> teammate, the highly rated wunderkind <\/em>Lennart Karl, made his Nationalmannschaft <\/em>debut off the bench in the second half.<\/p>\n

Some of the passing moves were slick and exciting to watch. And then there was Wirtz, the man who is making Germany fans dream big.<\/p>\n

Edited by: Matt Ford<\/em><\/p>\n

[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/florian-wirtz-inspires-germany-past-switzerland\/a-76538094″]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76573489_6.jpg”] https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B93O Florian Wirtz (in the air) delivered his best every Germany performance in a seven-goal thrillerImage: Steffie Wunderl\/BEAUTIFUL SPORTS\/picture alliance Seven goals, 14 substitutions, no cards \u2014 there were\u00a0storylines aplenty in Germany’s 4-3 friendly win over Switzerland in Basel on Friday night as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup approach their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,74],"class_list":["post-1857515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dw-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1857515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1857515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1857515\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1857515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1857515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1857515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}