Perfect time for magic: Germany star must prove he can do big games | OneFootball

The smile is back. 297 days after Jamal Musiala’s horror injury, confidence is growing that the Bayern star can regain the self-belief he needs—and above all trust in his own abilities and his own body—during the final stretch of the season. With the crucial clashes in the Champions League and the DFB-Pokal in mind, but of course also the World Cup in the summer, the 23-year-old now has the chance to put to bed the accusation that he goes missing in the big games.

It has been a long and rocky road for Jamal Musiala over the past almost nine months: from the moment of shock at the Club World Cup to a complicated recovery with several setbacks, and finally to his first shaky appearances in the Bundesliga.

In mid-April, former Bayern executive Oliver Kahn also fueled the media debate on Sky’s show “Triple – der Hagedorn-Fußballtalk” over whether the Bayern star, in this form, should even be a candidate for the World Cup: “He should skip taking part in the World Cup. If I feel that something isn’t right in my game, then I have to work on myself to be ready again.”

Kahn put that statement into perspective a little later, but it had been said and was discussed everywhere. Those in charge at FC Bayern, such as Max Eberl and Herbert Hainer, stood protectively by their jewel and urged patience. “This injury really hit him hard. He saw his ankle. Of course he’s still dealing with that—not just physically, but mentally too,” Eberl said in direct response to Kahn’s comments.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany in particular left no doubt in recent weeks that Musiala would soon return to his old level. His latest performances against St. Pauli, in the title-clinching game against VfB Stuttgart, in the DFB-Pokal against Bayer Leverkusen, and last weekend in Mainz have backed that up. Musiala is well on his way to becoming “Magic Musiala” again.

“That celebration, that smile—when an attacking player has that, then everything is resolved, then everything is fine,” Kompany commented afterward. The Belgian added that Musiala is once again feeling “that freedom” in his actions. This positive change has come at exactly the right time—in the middle of Bayern’s push for the treble and only a few weeks before the World Cup.

Musiala looks fearless on the pitch again. He calls for the ball, looks for one-on-ones, and goes into challenges with conviction. His regained—or rather, hard-earned—presence comes at just the right time for Munich after Serge Gnabry’s serious injury layoff.

Speaking on “ZDF-Sportstudio,” Max Eberl raved about the Bayern star’s development and said: “It has been a long road for Jamal.” At the same time, the sporting director made clear how strongly the attacker is performing again by now. Eberl said he was particularly impressed by his physical condition. “The great thing is: he actually looks even more physically robust,” said the 52-year-old.

The blockbuster semi-final ties against Paris Saint-Germain, the DFB-Pokal final against Stuttgart, and also a possible Champions League final give the resurgent Musiala the chance to disprove the critical claims that he had not been a factor in Bayern’s play in major matches in the past.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV - AFP or licensors