Lennart Karl has made the most of his next big stage. The Bayern talent celebrated his starting eleven debut in the German national team’s confident 4-0 win over Finland and impressed with a bold, carefree performance
Preparation for the World Cup could hardly have gone better for the 18-year-old. After Julian Nagelsmann surprisingly called him up to the World Cup squad, Karl was allowed to start for the senior national team for the first time against Finland. The attacking player repaid the trust with a strong performance and an assist
There had already been indications beforehand that Nagelsmann would give the Bayern youngster a chance, but Karl only received final confirmation on Sunday morning at the match briefing
On the pitch, the youngster was completely unimpressed afterwards
„I just want to play“
After the game, Karl explained on ZDF in his usual relaxed manner why he is so unconcerned at the moment: „I just want to play.“
He continued: „I’m going full throttle. Then I add a few skills. I add a few funny things. That’s just my wit.“
It was precisely this relaxed approach that made the Bayern professional one of the most eye-catching players on the pitch. Time and again, he sought out one-on-one situations, took risks and provided creative moments in Germany’s attacking play
Nagelsmann and Kimmich full of praise
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann was also pleased with his youngster after the game
„He’s a player who can play in different positions and will be very valuable to us,“ explained the DFB coach
Nagelsmann was particularly impressed by how actively Karl sought out the game: „He tried a lot, took a lot of risks and had a super number of actions.“
Joshua Kimmich was even more emphatic, with the Bayern captain seeing Karl’s recklessness as a great strength
„He should dare to do things, take balls, take risks, take shots – and then performances like today will come out of it,“ explained Kimmich
Bayern star as a role model for the next generation
Kimmich also emphasized how important it is to give young players the confidence they need
„Not everything has to go right. There can be mistakes, there can be ball losses, but the important thing is that you try again the fifth time even after losing the ball for the third or fourth time.“
For the midfielder, Karl embodies exactly the mentality that a team needs at the highest level
„It doesn’t get you anywhere if you don’t dare to do anything, if you’re afraid. That’s exactly what we need, like Lenny, who dares to do a lot of things, is courageous and believes in himself.“
After his strong performance against Finland, Lennart Karl is likely to have significantly increased his chances of getting more minutes at the World Cup. The Bayern youngster has certainly made an impressive bid for a place on Nagelsmann’s tournament roster.