Countries game against Holland : The duel of the atypical centre-forward

Memphis Depay put the index fingers in his ears. That's what he does when he scores a goal. Recently, he told me, what is behind this jubilation. It was his way to thank God and to show that he was deaf to the world. At the Moment it would be quite good, if Depay, not noticing offensive player of Olympique Lyon, all told about him and is written. At least if he is for his club. In France, the reviews were the least rather modest. In the Dutch national team, however, it cannot be any better: On Thursday, the 4:0-success of the Elftal against Belarus at the start of the qualifying, was Depay involved in all four goals. Two, he shot himself, the goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Virgil van Dijk, he prepared.

After complaining for Depay a bit of that to him the first hat-Trick of his international career denied remained. "I've just been saving," he said. The next Time is on Sunday, the EM-qualification game against Germany (20.45 clock, live at RTL).

Ahead of the meeting in Amsterdam, both sides seem eager, the other the role of the favorites, withdrawing. This must be considered a proof of the fact that the teams move at a similar level. Both Teams are coming off of a crisis, both stuck in the rebuild, and both have to fight a little with the Problem, to occupy the Central Position in the storm fit. In this respect, the Dutch seemed ahead of its Grand old rival a half-step to be.

It is no secret that the Netherlands have, in the meantime, again about the exceptional talents, that your national team Matthijs de Ligt and Virgil van Dijk and Midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Georginio Wijnaldum, with the Central defenders, a strong Central axis. What is missing is a real striker. At least that was last autumn. In the meantime, this lawsuit is silenced to a large extent. Since then Ronald Koeman has started a year ago as a bond coach, Memphis Depay in eleven countries scored seven goals.

Timo Werner has succeeded in his recent ten appearances for the German national team exactly a hit.

Timo Werner awards to many opportunities

And yet, Werner, 23 years old, still as the future of the German Offensive. Since his move from VfB Stuttgart to Leipzig in the summer of 2016 he has scored in every Premier League season by double digits. Currently, he comes back to twelve gates. In view of its stately yield, it is almost logical that his final weakness is rarely addressed. But Werner is awarding unusual in many good ways. On Wednesday, at 1:1 in the test game against Serbia, he had two outstanding opportunities.

This Problem in the national team through the last few months. "The consistency in our actions is of course an issue," said national coach Joachim Löw. Or better: the lack of consistency. "I hope that the team will implement the better in the future, a bit more consistency brings to the table in order to decide such tight games."

Too much variation in the possibilities of the national coach does not possess for the Position in the Front line. If you scoured the German football after a typical penalty area strikers, you end up with players who have always have to struggle with physical problems (Daniel Ginczek, Niklas Füllkrug) or in the Second division (Simon Terodde, Pierre-Michel Lasogga). That Davie Selke of Hertha BSC lands in view of the limited selection in the national team, is therefore not a particularly original forecast. It combines the speed of a counter attack player with the instinct of a penalty area striker. In addition, he has improved since his move to Berlin in a playful way.

In the Netherlands, the Situation is not fundamentally different than in Germany. A natural successor to Marco van Basten, Ruud van Nistelrooy or Klaas-Jan Huntelaar there is not In the squad, among others, Luuk de Jong, 28, who could not prevail, 2012 at Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 25-year-old Depay is also not what you would expect from a classic-and-out striker. He is more of a Schleicher, between the lines, anywhere on the go, and a good sense of the space. Against Belarus he was not only involved in all the goals, but all of the dangerous offensive actions of his team. "I am free in what I do," he says about his role in Oranje.

Memphis Depay looks to a Higher calling

That was in the club last. At Olympique Depay was deported on the outside of the track and in the last League game even on the substitutes ' bench; a goal he managed in the last twelve Games. For bond coach Koeman is not a Problem. "Memphis needs to prove to me nothing, he has often enough shown how good he is," he said before the game against the white Russians. "Here he always makes a very happy impression." At Oranje, he was a different person wrote the "Volkskrant" about Depay. He could wander around the whole field, the balls and be totally relaxed in your head: "Everyone accepts him as the boss in the storm, and this trust he pays back with love for the Ball."

Against the white Russians, in perhaps his best game to date, was prepared by Depay, the 2:0 by Wijnaldum with the hoe, and he swung a cross into the penalty area, he started with the kicking leg behind his standing leg. "I enjoy every Minute of it," said Depay, who has a strong sense of self-awareness. Although his time remained at Manchester United (mid-2015 until early 2017) and a bad Episode, he said recently: "I want to go to a club like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, FC Chelsea, Manchester City or Bayern Munich."

In the case of Werner, it is considered to be largely agreed that he will move in the summer from Leipzig to Munich. Where you may well ask, how is he supposed to fit in the game of FC Bayern. Werner's great strength is the speed. You could also say: His football weaknesses, he's running loose. The question is whether the deficits of age, he still usual, or of a fundamental nature.

Werner, as it is called in the language of Football, not a good first contact. Against the Serbs, he destroyed two promising situations, because to him the Ball at the time of acceptance promise rank. Also at the world Cup, against low opponent, he fell; his best scenes Werner in the second half against Sweden, when he was transferred from the national coach Joachim Löw on the left outside rail.

a look back at great games of Germany against Holland - a duel with history

Timo Werner needs space for his game. This is the difference to Memphis Depay. Find spaces that don't exist.