Former Manchester United midfielder Marcel Sabitzer has been the best player at Euro 2024 so far, according to Germany’s World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus.
Sabitzer has played a crucial role for Austria at Euro 2024 as his nation finished top of Group D ahead of France and the Netherlands and will play Turkey in the last 16 on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old, who was named Player of the Match for his display in Austria’s 3-2 win over the Netherlands on Tuesday, spent four months on loan at United last year but the Premier League club opted not to pursue a permanent agreement with Bayern Munich.
The midfielder was then signed by Borussia Dortmund and scored four goals in the Bundesliga last season whilst also helping the team reach the Champions League final where they were beaten by Real Madrid.
And Matthaus, who also won the European Championship with Germany in 1980, has been impressed with Sabitzer’s performances at this summer’s tournament.
‘My player of the tournament so far is Marcel Sabitzer,’ Matthaus wrote in his column for German outlet Sport.
‘I saw him live in Berlin during Austria’s 3-2 win over Holland.
‘His speed, his lightness, his finesse, the way he uses his teammates, the way he works in the back, the speed with which he plays forward – I’ve hardly seen him like this in Dortmund.
‘Sabitzer stands out in this impressive Austrian team. They finished ahead of France and the Netherlands and weren’t the worst team in the 1-0 defeat to France. This team does and executes what the Dutch and French do not: Speed on and off the ball. This is Ralf Rangnick’s style.
‘What is striking is that even the players from the Austrian league, who have little international experience, are convincing. That’s fun.’
Matthaus also defended Kai Havertz’s role in Germany’s team and has urgedJulian Nagelsmann to keep the Arsenal forward in the team for their last-16 tie against Denmark on Saturday.
‘Havertz is also underestimated,’ Matthaus wrote.
He hasn’t shone as much as Fullkrug because he hasn’t scored any goals yet. But he’s a combination player who creates a lot of space for his teammates, into which Musiala can then move. So there’s a cross block that’s tailored to Fullkrug, which makes the game much wider. And there’s a combination block with Havertz and the youngsters Wirtz and Musiala, which makes the game fast.
‘The supposed striker debate is also not an issue for me. Füllkrug can come in as a joker at any time. That has worked well so far.
‘Havertz has not done anything wrong. He is not a waste of opportunities who would not work for the team. I see no reason to change anything anywhere.
‘If you have to change the central defence, it might be a bit much to change up front too. I think Julian Nagelsmann sees it the same way.’
