Has VfB Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller changed Julian Nagelsmann's mind for Germany?
A late inclusion to Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad, Angelo Stiller’s performance against Switzerland has only elevated the 24-year-old’s chances of participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Absent from Nagelsmann’s initial squad for the March international breal, VfB Stuttgart’s Stiller found himself down the midfield pecking order.
“Angelo Stiller is an excellent footballer, but I think that Aleksandar Pavlović is just that bit better than him at the moment, and Angelo doesn’t make the starting XI,” Nagelsmann said after unveiling his latest squad.
However, following injuries to Pavlović and Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha, Stuttgart’s No. 6 started Germany’s 4-3 victory against Switzerland on Friday, impressing in a double-pivot alongside Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka.
Cutting a supremely composed figure during Friday’s win, Stiller completed 72 passes with an accuracy of 91.7 per cent, with only Joshua Kimmich (79) and match-winner Florian Wirtz (78) completing more.
Moreover, Stuttgart’s midfield metronome played 14 passes into the final third - more than any other German player, while his 90.9 per cent accuracy in the same metric is also unmatched by any German player with more than 10 passes into this area.
As such, Nagelsmann had positive words to say about his deep-lying playmaker. “He played very well on the ball, extremely calm - he never gets nervous, even under pressure,” he told RTL.
Watch: Stiller's superb vision and accuracy
Harmonising in midfield alongside Goretzka, Stiller played the enforcer role, winning 50 per cent of his duels while being responsible for four ball recoveries. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a flawless performance by the Stuttgart man, who was at fault for Switzerland’s first goal.
“There are two or three things I’m discussing with him,” added Nagelsmann, who voiced his criticism of Dan Ndoye’s opening goal: “I think he could have defended a touch more actively. He allowed the opponents to get too deep into the penalty area.”
However, Stiller’s performance leaves Nagelsmann with a dilemma, having made a statement for himself with a strong in performance against Murat Yakin’s side. “Otherwise, he was incredibly committed and played a good game,” Nagelsmann added.
Watch: Stiller builds his dream 5-a-side team
One thing’s for certain: Stiller’s hopes of participating at the forthcoming World Cup haven’t diminished.
With Monday’s game against Ghana on the horizon, there’s a strong chance that Stuttgart’s midfield maestro will get another opportunity to stake a claim in Nagelsmann’s plans.
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