Jamal Musiala: 2nd most valuable Germany player sees win over Scotland as “first step”

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Euro 2024 

There was a moment at the 2022 World Cup. Germany opened the match against Japan when Jamal Musiala slalomed through the Japanese box but rather than scoring Germany’s second goal of the game, the ball sailed over the box. Germany would lose that game 2-1 and ultimately crash out of the group stage for a second World Cup in a row. On Saturday, Musiala had his bit of redemption when he scored Germany’s second against Scotland from a similar position. 

Up 2-0, the pressure was lifted from Germany, and Scotland would ultimately be crushed 5-1.  “We don’t have to talk about the World Cup,” Musiala said. “The balls didn’t go in there. I am happy it went in today. I always try to be positive and have moments to score. I don’t want to be influenced by the past.” It remains to be seen whether the goal will define Musiala’s tournament. But without a doubt, the Bayern Munich attacking midfielder was brilliant and deserved the UEFA man of the match award. 

The numbers underline Musiala’s performance against Scotland. According to Wyscout, the 21-year-old completed 94% of his passes, completed 80% of his dribbles, won 52% of his duels and had three touches in the penalty box. “Yes, you can say that,” Musiala said on whether it was the game of his life. “I think to win that comfortably was a good sign for everyone. We can take the confidence into the next game. For me personally I was happy with the game. There are things that we can do better. We won’t let it get to our heads too much and go into the next game with the same mentality. We will go step-by-step.” 

The next step is Hungary on Wednesday. Although the Magyars lost their opening match 3-1 against Switzerland on Saturday, Hungary will have more quality than the Scottish. A glimpse in the database also highlights that Germany hasn’t beaten Hungary in the last three games. That stretch includes the 2-2 draw against Hungary at Euro 2020. A tough opponent led by Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai, Musiala’s dribbling skills will be crucial for Germany. But unlike 2021 and 2022, Musiala won’t have to solve problems all by himself. 

Most crucially, national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann has surrounded Musiala with other creative players who can unleash his full potential. In midfield, Toni Kroos is the conductor of every Germany attack. Then there is Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz, who has regained his full potential at Arsenal. “We all have the same football idea,” Musiala said about playing with Havertz and Wirtz. “We can all create something. Kai is a goal threat up front. We can combine with him, and he can drop deep and play in the no.10 role as well. We all combine well, and I hope we will build on our chemistry over the next days and weeks.” 

With that in mind, it isn’t surprising that the three are Germany’s most valuable players. While Wirtz ranks first with a market value of €130m, Musiala is right behind his teammate with a market value of €120m. Not surprisingly, the two rank among the ten most valuable players at the European Championships. Not in the top ten, but the third most valuable player together with Leroy Sané is Havertz. In other words, the market value underlines the importance of all three in Nagelsmann’s system. But Musiala was the one who stood out against Scotland and unlike against Japan, this time, his game was more direct and successful. That’s something to build on, as Musiala is now poised to make this his tournament and become a world star beyond Germany.