PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
JAMAL MUSIALA
BAYERN MUNICH'S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER WONDERKID PREPARES TO MAKE A SPLASH ON THE BIGGEST STAGE IN WORLD FOOTBALL WITH GERMANY.
One of the most circulated pictures in German sports media in the past year shows Jude Bellingham sitting alongside Jamal Musiala, both 17 at the time and wearing England jerseys. The picture spotlights the friendship between two gifted players who once played against each other at ping-pong tables and video game consoles, and have now become dominant in the German Bundesliga.
While Bellingham already had his first statement performance for England on Monday, his good friend is determined to do the same on Wednesday when Germany meet Japan in World Cup Group E.
"I think we have a really good team with which we can get really far," Musiala tells ESPN. "The quality is there to be a contender for the title. We go to this tournament with the mindset to be able to win the cup. You have to believe in it. I do."
The 19-year-old has travelled to Qatar with huge ambitions and the outcome of Germany's World Cup title quest depends on Musiala more than some people may realize. During the first half of the season, he was the standout player at Bayern Munich, where head coach Julian Nagelsmann has begun to build the entire system around Musiala as his No. 10.
BAYERN MUNICH • GERMANY • 19 YEARS OLD
PROFILE
Germany head coach Hansi Flick, who mentored the up-and-coming talent during his time at Bayern Munich and wanted him to choose Germany over England (where Musiala had played for Chelsea's academy from 2011 to 2019) has also identified his former pupil as the centerpiece of his offensive structure, with Musiala providing an element of unpredictability because of his dribbling skills.
"Musiala is a prime example of what we like to call a 'needle player' -- a player who carries the ball through small gaps and tight spaces in-between multiple opponents. His technique, but especially his agility and quick decision-making, allow him to do that like not many others," says tactical analyst and coach Martin Rafelt.
7.26
AVG. RATING IN BUNDESLIGA 22/23
VERSATILITY
CAM • LW • CM
One of Musiala's most attractive qualities is his ability to adapt his position based on what the team needs in that moment. His preferred position is as a Central Attacking Midfielder (CAM), but he has been known to play as a Left Winger (LW) and drop back as a conventional Central Midfielder (CM) for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga this season.
"A playing style like Musiala's is often regarded as too risky, but it's immensely valuable to break down compact defenses, especially to do that quickly and frequently without the need of being extremely patient," Rafelt explains. The World Cup-winning teams of 1974, 1990 and 2014 all relied heavily on precise and intelligent passes, while dribbles were much less prominent.
9
GOALS
7
ASSISTS
56
SHOTS CREATED
A mentor-like figure for Musiala is Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan, who has been quoted telling Musiala during games that he would protect the areas behind him because Gundogan wants his young team-mate to thrive. The veterans who were part of the 2018 World Cup campaign which ended in a group stage exit know that Musiala brings something to the table no one else can.
His unpredictability is exactly what Germany may need, particularly in games in which long spells of possession go nowhere. It surely is a heavy task for a 19-year-old to become a potential difference-maker for a nation like Germany, but Musiala has the tools to handle it.
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STORY CONTENT COURTESY OF ESPN
STATISTICS GATHERED FROM SOFASCORE, TRANSFERMARKT AND FBREF
IMAGES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES