For Matthias Ginter, SC Freiburg’s biggest European Cup game will once again be a showcase. The Breisgauer defense chief has been in impressive form for weeks – as a stabilizer in the defense, but also as an assist provider and goalscorer. Hardly a game goes by without at least one decisive action.
In the quarter-final second leg of the Europa League against Spanish representatives Celta Vigo on Thursday (6.45 p.m./RTL) he would like to continue to promote himself. Long-term goal: the World Cup squad of national coach Julian Nagelsmann.
The 32-year-old has many advocates. Record national player and RTL expert Lothar Matthäus called Ginter’s performance in the 3-0 first leg “outstanding”. Coach Julian Schuster said it couldn’t get any better. SC attacker Igor Matanovic would “definitely” nominate Ginter for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. In the club there is no way around top performers anyway.
World Cup title without playing a minute
The central defender himself has not yet given up hope of participating in the fourth World Cup. “I try to influence what I can do,” he said after the first leg gala against Vigo last week.
In 2014, Ginter became world champion with the DFB team in Brazil, but was not used. Even in 2018 he just sat outside. At the 2022 tournament in Qatar, he came on as a substitute in the final minute of the final group game against Costa Rica, when the elimination from the preliminary round was already certain. For Ginter, playing for Germany is the “greatest thing of all” – and his motivation to play his way into the national coach’s sights once again is correspondingly great.
This season he has impressed with his performance – he also scored in the first leg. The starting position could hardly be better. However, Ginter warns against being too sure: “Every game brings new opportunities and risks.”
The SC has never been in a European Cup quarter-final before. Ginter does. In 2016 he was eliminated with Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League against Liverpool FC. With his experience from many years in the professional business, he can lead the Freiburg team, some of whom are still inexperienced internationally.
Grifo: “Simply outstanding”
“He is an excellent player who is really moving forward and confirming his performance week after week,” enthused SC record goalscorer Vincenzo Grifo after the first leg. “He gives us incredible stability. I don’t know how many duels he lost, but he was simply outstanding.” The national coach now has to decide “what to do with it.”
For Ginter, it’s about getting the job done, “not so much about shining,” he said. The dream of a semi-final against Betis Sevilla or Sporting Braga is alive, but still requires at least 90 minutes of work. Spain’s sixth-place team will race to make up for the deficit.
In the league game in Mainz (1-0) on Sunday, Ginter didn’t let his nose bleed for almost the entire game throw him off his game and prepared Lucas Höler’s winning goal. A mentality that his club benefits from. And which could perhaps also help the national team.