“Completely beside himself”: Bayern star faces backlash after Ecuador defeat | OneFootball

Aleksandar Pavlovic had a rough night in the 1-2 loss to Ecuador. TV analyst Marcel Reif had unusually harsh words for the Bayern pro following Germany’s first World Cup defeat.

Following the German national team’s 1-2 loss to Ecuador, Aleksandar Pavlovic has become the focus of criticism. The FC Bayern midfielder fell far short of his potential and was substituted at halftime.

The verdict from legendary commentator Marcel Reif was particularly harsh. In BILD’s World Cup studio, the longtime TV analyst took the 22-year-old to task and expressed particular surprise at his performance when in possession of the ball.

Reif began by reminding viewers of the qualities that normally set Pavlovic apart: “Pavlovic: A passing machine, the most reliable of them all.”

That’s exactly why his performance against Ecuador surprised him all the more: “He’s completely out of it! He’s giving the ball away to the opponent; he looks exhausted.”

Is Pavlovic overplayed?

For Reif, however, the drop in performance didn’t come completely out of the blue. In his view, the long season with FC Bayern and the heavy workload could be playing a decisive role: “The season was long—I get that. He’s still a young Bayern player. This is his first big thing.”

Nevertheless, his conclusion was unsparing: “In any case, he’s not helping at all right now. Not one bit!”

Photo: IMAGO

Before the World Cup, Pavlovic was one of the big hopes in the German midfield and has started in all three group stage matches so far. Against Ecuador, however, he was barely able to make his mark on the game and was substituted after just 45 minutes.

National team coach Julian Nagelsmann will now have to closely analyze his midfielder’s performance. After all, the decisive phase of the tournament begins for the DFB squad with the round of 16.

Especially at the defensive midfield position, the debate could now gain momentum once again following Pavlovic’s weak performance.