81,365 fans in Dortmund will once again experience a magical European Cup night. And one of the magicians is once again Mats Hummels. The 1-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain opened the door wide open for BVB to reach the Champions League final, and Dortmund’s central defender perhaps played the biggest role in this. Concentrated, aggressive, with outstanding positional play: The now 35-year-old Hummels let the Parisian star ensemble around the much younger Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembelé and Co. bounce off him like annoying flies. Top form at crunch time.
This is not the first time that Hummels has put on a gala performance when it really counts. And that is precisely why national coach Julian Nagelsmann cannot do without him. Mats Hummels has to go to the European Championships!
Most of the time it is folklore to say that a 35-year-old is in the best shape of his career. But with Hummels the thesis is correct. It’s not just his charisma on the pitch and his leadership qualities that have risen to a higher level in recent months. The numbers also speak for him. Against Paris, Hummels deservedly won the “Man of the Match” award: He won 100 percent of his aerial duels, seven of eight duels, made four successful tackles, had 69 ball contacts and played in the attacking third eight times – numbers that can only be described as “world class.” ” allow.
Anyone who misses out on this world class would have to be crazy. Hummels showed once again that the same criticism leveled at him is not true: he is too old, too slow and has been that way for years. Anyone who says that cannot have followed the 35-year-old’s career. He was never the fastest, but he always had outstanding positional play, which he has perfected this season. But even more important for the national team: Hummels is a number ten in his head, a playing central defender.
Ten years ago under Jürgen Klopp he was already a guarantee of success for two BVB championships. He can move from defense to playmaking role in midfield when the actual six is started. With a view to the group games of the European Championship, Hummels’ golden outer instep will definitely be sorely needed. Opponents like Scotland or Hungary will not engage in open exchanges of blows with the strong German offensive, but will instead run aggressively and stand deep. These games are perfect for Hummels.
Nagelsmann will probably rely on Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rüdiger in central defense because they are physically stronger – but neither of them have as fine a foot as Hummels. So why not take Hummels as a third central defender? In order to break through defensive bulwarks, you need a special moment, a perfect pass – or simply: an outside instep just in case.
