„Then take them with you!“ – Do Bayern talents Karl and Bischof have to go to the World Cup? | OneFootball

Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof shine for the German U21s. Should national coach Julian Nagelsmann call them up to the World Cup squad?

The performance of the German senior national team in the 2-0 defeat against Luxembourg did not generate much enthusiasm – in stark contrast to the U21 team a few hours earlier, where two FC Bayern talents shone: Tom Bischof and Lennart Karl led the DFB team to a clear 6-0 win against Malta with strong performances. Karl in particular caused a stir with two goals on his debut.

The question remains: Will national coach Julian Nagelsmann have to nominate the duo for the senior international against Côte d’Ivoire in March?

Former Bundesliga coach Peter Neururer advises SPORT1 to remain calm, but praises the qualities of the two Bayern youngsters: „The U21 is a completely different competition. This is youth soccer at the highest level. There’s no need to talk about the fact that they are huge talents. Let them carry on like this.“

Neururer on Karl and Bischof: „It’s all about performance“

At the same time, Neururer has a clear stance if the performances remain consistently outstanding: „If they are in top form and can help the team and could play well for just three minutes, then I’ll take them. But we don’t have to chase after a youth craze. It’s all about performance.“

As to whether the World Cup in the summer is already a realistic topic, he offers a differentiated answer: „Why should you exclude them in your thoughts? At the time of the World Cup, you have to take the best players with you and not the ones who can drive the thing home in five years‘ time. But if they can help, then take them with you as a permanent member from now on! The phase of trying things out must be over, though.“

Lennart Karl has already made history with his brace. At 17 years, eight months and 23 days, he is the third-youngest goalscorer ever in the U21s – only Youssoufa Moukoko and Robert Trenner were younger. Bischof also impressed once again with his wit and maturity. Nagelsmann must have taken a close look.