[Trending News] Gladbach professional to the DFB? Already better than the competition

Excitement in the penalty area: Moritz Nicolas (u.) Lies on the ground, Kevin Behrens (in red) flies ahead with his right arm over the keeper and Rocco Reitz (back) can only watch. Photo: December 9, 2023

Copyright: IMAGO/Beautiful Sports

The chance was rarely greater for him-against his ex-club the foal gets the next stage for a recommendation.

In summer, Borussia Mönchengladbach in the storm with Heidenheim professional Tim Kleindienst (29) and the transfer fell like a bomb: the attacker snapped like on the assembly line (13 goals) and at the beginning of the season it was once with the first nomination for the German national team rewarded. There he was not long in coming with the first goal. In March, another borus could rise to the national team's ranks.

Gladbach only represents one German international – the next lurks

Abroad there is one or the other Gladbacher at the A-national teams. Nico Elvedi (27) and Jonas Omlin (31, both Switzerland) are regularly part of the Nati contingent, Kevin Stöger (31) and Stefan Lainer (32, both Austria) now have to worry about nomination for ÖFB.

For the DFB, however, small service is currently the only representative of VfL. The two left -back Lukas Ullrich (20) and Luca Netz (21), as well as permanent favorite Rocco Reitz (22) play for the U21, hopes to be used in the future.

The greatest hopes for a call from national coach Julian Nagelsmann (37) can currently make another foal: Moritz Nicolas (27)!

The goalkeeper convinces in his second season as a Borussia professional between the posts and even displaced his competitor Omlin as number one of the team of coach Gerardo Seoane (46). Week after week, Nicolas inspires the fans with another gala performance-is the reward from Nagelsmann now?

On Saturday (February 15, 2025, 3:30 p.m.), the native of Gladbeck Nicolas will be against his ex-club Union Berlin. In the 2019/20 season, the keeper played in loan for the Köpenicker, but was only used once. In the 0: 4 against TSG Hoffenheim, Nicolas experienced an ungrateful debut.

There were three more borrowing and two injuries from Omlin until the 27-year-old really arrived in the Bundesliga. There, Nicolas is now one of the best goalkeepers and collects arguments for DFB nomination. Again, the Gladbach goalkeeper could benefit from injuries to the competition.

After the resignation of world champion Manuel Neuer (38) from the national team, ex-foal Marc-André Ter Stegen (32) should actually succeed. The Mönchengladbacher native, however, fails with a patella tendon tear for months.

Oliver Baumann (34) from TSG Hoffenheim is a foot injury, but he could be fit again until the next international break in March. Usually Nagelsmann takes three goalkeepers into the squad, returns Baumann, remaining two places.

So far, they have made Alexander Nübel (28, VfB Stuttgart), Kevin Trapp (34, Eintracht Frankfurt) and Stefan Ortega Moreno (32, Manchester City) among themselves – Nicolas could get another competitor into the race. In crucial statistics, it is already better than the trio.

According to values ​​of the football data platform FBRRF.com, for example, Nicolas surpasses all three keepers in the catch rate: Borussia number one holds 78 percent of the shots that come to their goal, Trapp is 76.3 percent of the closest pursuer, Nübel (66.3 ) and Ortega (65.9) fall off.

Nicolas (18 pieces) is also at the top of the quartet when it comes to intercepted flanks. Only Ortega Ran (also 84.1 percent) comes to his pass rate of 84.1 percent, Nicolas is again the sole leader in long passes (over 40 yards, i.e. 36.576 meters): 47.7 percent of these passports arrive.

The Gladbeck only cuts significantly worse than the competitors in the penalty statistics. Nicolas already faced a shooter five times, and was transformed five times. Trapp, who parried both of the season so far against him and Nübel, who at least defended one of two penalty boards, probably have a more pronounced killer instinct.

However, this should certainly not be an exclusion criterion for DFB nomination. The chance is there, Nagelsmann needs goalkeepers and hardly anyone is currently as crowded as Nicolas.

In the stadium on the old forester's shop, he wants to show the next strong performance. If this continues to succeed, at some point he hardly leaves Nagelsmann the option not to take him with them.

In the meantime, colleague small service can tell him that he shouldn't ignore calls in the hardware store (Gladbachlive reported) – because the national coach could soon be behind.