Hummels applied for a place in the European Championship
He hasn't been part of the starting lineup for weeks. But in the 3-1 win over Frankfurt, Mats Hummels was recommended for more appearances in a Bundesliga shirt. This increases the chance of getting a European Championship ticket. But he won't ask for anything.
FifthFrom noble reserve to match-winner: Mats Hummels has made several arguments for a return to Borussia Dortmund's starting lineup. In the 3-1 (1-1) win over Eintracht Frankfurt, the 35-year-old veteran not only made a name for himself as a defensive leader and verbal driver, but also as a goalscorer. With a header that made the score 2-1 in the 81st minute, he paved the way for Borussia to return to fourth place in the German League table. “Mats is a very experienced player and very important for us. He proved that again today,” said football teacher Edin Terzic enthusiastically.
The Dortmund coach's high praise certainly cannot be taken for granted. Ultimately, Hummels was forced to be content with a place on the bench for weeks before the suspension of Nico Schlotterbeck in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against PSV Eindhoven (2-0) gave him a place last Wednesday. The eleventh beginning. The 2014 world champion took his chance against both the Netherlands and Frankfurt.
“Now let's enjoy this.”
“We are entering the international break feeling much better than we indicated two weeks ago. Now we are enjoying it,” Hummels said after Dortmund's fourth successive win. It was a 3-1 win over Frankfurt after further goals from Karim Adeyemi (13) and Emre Can (13). 90 + 3/penalty foul) is the first success of the season against a team in the top six.
Mats Hummels (right) scores with a header to make it 2-1 for Dortmund
Source: AFP
Hummels saw this as a source of encouragement for the difficult weeks ahead, with maturity tests against the best Bundesliga teams from Munich, Stuttgart, Leipzig and Leverkusen, in addition to two quarter-final matches against Atletico Madrid in the first division. “We're having a cracking April now. This is going to be intense. Then we see where we stand.”
It is entirely possible that Hummels will also play a key role in helping to qualify for the Champions League again and thus Borussia's top target this season. “I just congratulated him. I was personally happy for him. “It was an important goal,” said sporting director Sebastian Kehl, commenting on the central defender’s header into the bottom right corner after a free kick taken by Julian Brandt.
“Others are too good for that.”
According to Hamel's statement, his exclusion from the national team's matches against France and the Netherlands did not come as a surprise: “To be honest, I was expecting it,” he admitted to DAZN. “It was my first Bundesliga match since mid-December. “The others are too good to nominate someone who doesn't play regularly.” “That's why I've already planned weeks with my son,” Hummels added with a smile. This was not a surprise to me.”
Hummels and national coach Julian Nagelsmann (right) during the trip to the USA in October 2023
Source: German News Agency
At least club coach Terzic has given him hope of more matches. This could have positive consequences for Hummels as the European Championship on home soil approaches, and national team coach Julian Nagelsmann may change his mind when planning his squad. “If Mats continues to perform like this, maybe something will change about this neglect,” Terzic said.
The BVB veteran himself has not yet given up on his dream of participating in the European Championship on home soil. “I'm just doing what I can do. And then we'll see. It's completely understandable that the players who give the best performances are there,” Hummels said.
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