What a tough loss for Germany...

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Well, Bayern Munich fans...you will be getting your BFW back full-time.

Germany put forth a very strong effort against Spain, but ultimately fell 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion.

• As always, let’s start with Julian Nagelsmann’s somewhat controversial starting lineup:

• It was expected that Jonathan Tah would take back over for Nico Schlotterbeck, David Raum would reprise his starting role over Maximilian Mittelstädt, and also that Leroy Sané would get the nod over Florian Wirtz...but Emre Can for Robert Andrich? That came out of nowhere. It made sense that Nagelsmann was protecting his training so much as he really wanted to surprise Spain (and everyone else).
• Fans could argue for days about those moves, but Nagelsmann clearly had a rationale for making all of the changes that he did. Bayern Munich fans, however, had to have flashbacks of Nagelsmann’s incessant tinkering, which always seemed to produce instability and uneven play if he went too far with things.
• Nagelsmann really can be his own worst enemy sometimes.
• Pedri leaving the match earlier in favor of Dani Olmo was a jolt to Spain, but it is not as if there was much of a dip in quality given Olmo’s ability. Spanish fans will bemoan the intent of Kroos’ foul on that play, too.
• Of course, the insertion of Olmo would end up playing a massive role in the match. He was a handful for Germany for the entirety of his stint.
• Germany and Spain proceeded to go at each other hard in every way. It was truly the battle many were expecting early on.
• In the 21st minute, Kimmich sent in a beautiful cross that Kai Havertz got his head on, but he mistimed his jump a bit and could not generate enough power or accuracy to put it into the net.
• You really could feel the intensity and excitement of the fans inside the stadium through the television. The game was physical as hell, too.
• Both teams were making a lot of mistakes early. Can had a really tough go as the game seemed to be moving too fast for him.
• In the 35th minute, a beautiful ball over-the-top to Havertz put the striker in a terrific position (mostly thanks to Havertz making a terrific read on the ball while it was in the air), but the Arsenal FC man could not get a lot on his shot attempt.
• Havertz did well to get into good positions in the first half, but just could not put it all together for a goal — which is an essential part of playing striker unfortunately.
• Germany’s wings did a fantastic job of getting back on defense to help out David Raum and Joshua Kimmich, who had some great 1v1 stops in the first half.
• Sané was invisible in the attack, but did play a key role in supporting the team’s backline as indicated above.
• After halftime, Nagelsmann rectified two situations by replacing Sané and Can with Wirtz and Andrich. Nagelsmann’s ideas just did not work but he did attempt to change things up.
• In the 51st minute, Olmo slid into some space at the top of the box and deftly hit a ground ball into the corner of the net to give Spain a 1-0 lead.
• From that point on, Germany’s level of urgency went through the roof. Every movement was dire.
• Nagelsmann hit desperation mode and yanked İlkay Gündoğan and Raum in favor of Niclas Füllkrug and Mittelstädt. It was telling that the manager took Gündoğan out. If your captain (who is also your attacking midfielder) is not the kind of player you want — or need — in a game where you are desperate to score, then you likely didn’t play him there on merit to begin with.
• With Füllkrug coming in to bolster the attack, Mittelstädt needed to take Raum out so Germany had more defensive awareness and stability on the backline.
• As Germany’s urgency ramped up, the team became more erratic, while Spain settled into a very nice groove for a bit. However, Germany would eventually start to put Spain under consistent duress.
• Füllkrug hit the post in the 77th minute, but more than the miss — the Spain defender had a full grip of the striker’s shirt when the BVB man hit the ground. You can argue that grabbing Füllkrug’s shirt did not fully affect the attempt, but it was terrible optics.
• Thomas Müller came on in the 80th minute, which clearly meant that Nagelsmann was hoping to find some magic.
• A minute later, Musiala fell back into one of the old behaviors that felled him in the past — forcing a shot from a bad angle when he had other options. With every possession being important, it was a disappointing decision, likely made in desperation.
• A minute later, Havertz rushed a chip on an opportunity that was a gift from Unai Simon and saw it sail over the goal. It was that kind of game for the German attack.
• Incredibly, Nagelsmann finally did find that magic in his subs! In the 89th minute, Mittelstädt sent in an outswinging cross from the left-side, which Kimmich used every bit of his energy to get to and head effective into the play — where Wirtz hammered home a half-volley to knot the game at 1-1. It was an incredible play that showed why Kimmich is so valuable. That fight and ability come up big in clutch moments cannot be quantified by statistics.
• Extra time was pure intensity, but it was awesome to see Müller, Kroos, and Manuel Neuer all involved after such storied careers.
• Müller set Wirtz up perfectly in the last minute of the first period of extra time, but the Bayer Leverkusen phenom saw his attempt go wide. That was a golden opportunity and Wirtz should have buried it.
• In the first minute of the second period of extra time, it sure looked like Marc Cucurella could have been assessed a handball, but he was not. His hands were down but his arm was straying far enough away from his body to make it really questionable. Personally, it sure looked like a penalty.
• In the 120th minute, though, Spain’s Mikel Menino found a gap in the Germany defense where he found Rüdiger’s blind spot and put in a perfect header. Olmo — of course! — lofted in the ball to Menino. It was a fantastic play, but also a dagger to Germany.
• In the final seconds, Müller sent over a cross to Füllkrug, but the Borussia Dortmund man’s header went just wide. So close...so close.
• On the positive side, this group did really respond to Nagelsmann and if he can limit his tinkering, his experiment into the waters of international play could end up being very successful.
• Overall, Germany played tough, they were relentless, and they were probably the better side...they just did not win. It is unfortunate and tough to swallow for the veterans of the team, but better efficiency (and probably some better squad selections) might have better positioned the Germans to make it to the semifinals. In the end, it was a very good run for Germany and the team showed great progress under Nagelsmann. If the 2026 World Cup side can find a striker (Maximilian Beier?), be more efficient, and continue to develop under the manager, this could be a legitimate contender to win it all. There is a lot of time between now-and-then, though, and fans will have be patient through the ups and downs of the next two years.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

There are some reports out there that indicate that the relationship between Joshua Kimmich and Bayern Munich could be in peril:

Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich is one of the names that Barcelona have on the table to reinforce the pivot midfield position. The 29-year-old has entered the final year of his contract with the Bavarian giants and a renewal is seeming extremely unlikely, leaving the door open for a summer departure.

Furthermore, SPORT reports that the relationship between Kimmich and Bayern Munich has strained in recent weeks and things are quite tense. Since his statements in the documentary on the German channel ZDF in which he said he felt abandoned during the pandemic period, some Bayern directors have a grudge against the midfielder and would not frown upon an immediate sale in this market.

On top of that, Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl aims to reduce the salary costs of the squad for the coming seasons by around 20%.

Per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Juventus is going to sell attacker Federico Chiesa as he does not fit into the plans of coach of Thiago Motta and also because his contract expires in 2025:

Romano checked in with additional info as well:

Bayern Munich has long been considered a fan of Chiesa, but that was before Max Eberl, Christoph Freund, and Vincent Kompany became the new triumvirate of power.

Germany is in the EURO 2024 quarterfinals. Bayern Munich seems like it might torch some key players on its roster, and we are sitting here wondering why it just can’t all come together on both fronts to make for a smooth and seamless summer!

That is never the way, but it is also why we are here doing this podcast, so let’s get cracking with a look at what is on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:

• Early thoughts on Germany vs. Spain at EURO 2024.
• Matthijs de Ligt looks like he is headed to Manchester United.
• Bayern Munich has agreed on personal terms with Xavi Simons, but that does not mean a deal is imminent.
• Arijon Ibrahimović re-upped with Bayern Munich and will be on the first team, but with what role?
• Bayern Munich could be asking Joshua Kimmich to take a 15% pay decrease. Would he do it? Does he even fit into Vincent Kompany’s plans?
• A shout to an upstart Bayern Munich fan club in Louisville, Kentucky (@MiaSanLou on X).

Borussia Dortmund has not triggered the release clause for VfB Stuttgart attacker Serhou Guirassy just yet, but that does not mean that a deal is in jeopardy per Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg:

⚫️ Borussia Dortmund have not yet triggered the release clause for Serhou #Guirassy as some financial terms still have to be clarified!

… therefore there’s no total agreement between #BVB and Guirassy at this stage. And no medical is scheduled yet.

But we‘ve been told that his transfer to @BVB is not in jeopardy as Guirassy has decided to join Dortmund!

⚫️ After positive talks in the last few hours, all parties are now optimistic about finalizing all financial details in the next 48 hours to complete Serhou Guirassy’s transfer to #BVB!

#Guirassy is expected to undergo his medical next week! Deal will happen ✔️

@_dennisbayer | @berger_pj

Madrid, PSG eyeing Saliba (CaughtOffside via 90Min.com)

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are keeping a close eye on Arsenal FC’s William Saliba:

Arsenal center-back William Saliba has emerged as the top transfer target for both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

Bayern Munich and Germany both have a lot to mull over in upcoming weeks. We address some of those issues in this podcast:

• The offside debate — should Denmark’s goal have stood?
• Thoughts on Germany’s problems against Denmark.
• Thoughts on Nico Schlotterbeck’s performance — should he retain his spot?
• Thoughts on Leroy Sané (and so many related frustrations).
• Thoughts on some ways in which Julian Nagelsmann might set up his team against Spain.
• Thoughts on what makes Spain exceptional in UEFA EURO 2024.
• Should Nagelsmann start Niclas Füllkrug?
• Looking back at the history of Germany vs. Spain.
• A look at Bayern Munich’s defense — will Matthijs de Ligt actually be sold?
• Thoughts on Michael Olise’s seemingly impending moving to Bayern.
• More Bayern musings and thoughts on Tah as well as João Palhinha.

Max Eberl recently described what the club was looking for during their coaching search:

“The playing style is not the most crucial thing. Today there are no longer coaches who only play with the ball, and others off the ball. I think we’ve seen that with Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, whose playing styles were totally different and now got more similar. Every coach whom we consider at FC Bayern should also do that, he has to find solutions off the ball, but especially with the ball,” Eberl told SZ.

João Félix could find a new (old?) home with Benfica:

Benfica are discussing a move for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, who wants to return to Barcelona after his loan spell in Catalonia expired.