Arsenal star Kai Havertz suffered a blow on the International stage as host Nation Germany bowed out of Euro 2024 in the quarter-finals.
Germany were heartbroken as Mikel Merino headed in a late winner deep into extra time in Stuttgart to send Spain to the semi-finals, and fans were divided about how well Havertz played.
Havertz ended the season with Arsenal superbly as he thrived at centre-forward, earning him a starting spot ahead of Borussia Dortmund striker Nicklas Fullkrug, but he was criticised throughout the tournament after some quiet displays.
Germany were beaten by Spain despite creating several chances, and Havertz was frustrated as he missed a few golden opportunities, including an effort where Manuel Neuer was off his line but the 25-year-old failed to hit the target.
In the wake of the defeat, Havertz has been slammed for his performance, which saw him substituted at the start of extra time.
Kai Havertz slammed by German media after Euro 2024 exit
German outlet TZ gave Havertz a 4/5 match rating, with five the worst score possible, and criticised both his finishing as well as his passing.
“Havertz had two great chances in the first half, but he didn’t capitalize on either of them – not enough. He also had two really good chances in the second half, but couldn’t capitalize on either. He was often too lax in his passing,” they stated.
Havertz completed just 17 of his 22 attempted passes, at a rate of 77%, but this was not the issue. Whilst his movement off the ball was strong, on it his passes were often hit too softly and lacked purpose, and this was an issue which plagued him when he first joined Arsenal before Mikel Arteta found a solution.
Mikel Arteta found solution to Kai Havertz passing problem at Arsenal
Havertz’s display on the ball against Spain was reminiscent of some of his performances in midfield at the start of last season, where he offered very little creativity on the ball.
Arteta solved this issue by not only moving him upfront, but by creating a system where he was taken out of build-up play by pushing forward, as Jorginho, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka would create opportunities for him to produce first-time finishes with big chances.
Havertz registered just 34 touches of the ball against Spain, the lowest of any outfield player, and despite his four shots on goal as a striker, he was anonymous when asked to change role during the game as Fullkrug came on as a substitute.
This change saw Havertz drop back into midfield, but he failed to create a single chance, with his passing frustratingly slow and lax at times.
Arteta stopped this being a problem at Arsenal by keeping the German upfront, where he could play to his strengths in his movement and height, rather than forcing him to impose himself on the ball.
Related Topics