He is a regular player in the best league in the world, one of the most dangerous midfielders in the Premier League and also exceptionally good in defence. Stach is currently in his prime, but Julian Nagelsmann seems to have no interest in him. Is the Bayern bonus missing here?
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“He does well there, but he is not a great header or a great duelist, but rather someone who likes to have the game in front of him,” Nagelsmann recently explained in an interview with the ‘kicker’ when asked about Stach. The 27-year-old currently sees no place in the starting lineup for the World Cup in Germany; On the other hand, a former player of the national team has the advantage.
“From now on Leon Goretzka, despite having less playing time at Bayern, will have good chances to play and will play a role similar to that of the World Cup qualifier. Because he is someone who also enters the area, is strong in headers and provides a lot of strength,” Nagelsmann emphasized. But wait, what do the statistics really say?
Well, something completely different. According to ‘Opta’, Goretzka wins just over 38.1 percent of his aerial duels this season, his lowest figure in five years. Anton Stach achieves 62.3 percent in the physically tough Premier League. Well, maybe Nagelsmann didn’t pay much attention to that, but even with much less detailed statistics, Stach has the advantage.
📸 George Wood – 2026 Getty Images
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In the Premier League he has started 23 of 25 possible games. Goretzka, since announcing his departure for the summer, is only a rotation player at Bayern. In the last five Bundesliga games, the 31-year-old was not in the squad twice and played exactly one minute twice. However, Nagelsmann stressed to ‘kicker’ that a player does not necessarily need to have a permanent place to earn a starting place in the World Cup.
The surprising thing, however, is that Stach currently doesn’t even have a chance of landing a roster spot.
“So far there has been no communication, which I find a bit disappointing, because when there is no communication, naturally you feel very, very far from the team, so you don’t even consider it,” Stach criticized Nagelsmann last October when ‘Sky’ asked him about his situation.
Although it’s unclear if the two have had contact since then, it’s still surprising. Nagelsmann seems to want to completely sideline the former Hoffenheim player. And that’s despite the fact that he has qualities that could be crucial against defensive opponents.
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Stach, along with Dominik Szoboszlai, has currently converted the most direct free kicks in the current Premier League season (3). Here you have a small sample.
Tasty. Like Anton Stach he has already created 50 great chances this season. This places him among the top five in the Premier League, competing with players like Bukayo Saka (50) or also Dominik Szoboszlai (52).
Even his coach Daniel Farke cannot stop praising: “He is a key player for us. He combines a perfect balance between defensive skills, physicality and the ability to give us defensive stability, at the same time inspiring our offensive game.”
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However, there seems to be no place for Stach alongside Leon Goretzka. Recently, Aleksandar Pavlović played there and did more than well.
Furthermore, Bayern players Goretzka and Pavlović know each other perfectly. Currently this seems decisive and is of course an advantage that cannot be neglected. But still, shouldn’t there at least be a place on the bench for Stach?
Until now, no. Since his DFB debut under Hansi Flick in March 2022, Stach has only played two international matches. He was last in the team in June 2022. Although the nomination four years ago may have been too soon, the 27-year-old put in consistent performances even before his spell at Leeds. At both Mainz 05 and TSG Hoffenheim, Stach became a regular player before moving to the Premier League in the summer of 2025.
But who knows, maybe Julian Nagelsmann will finally listen to the Farke and Hebel, who regularly watch Stach perform brilliantly in the Premier League. In the test matches against Switzerland (27.03.) and Ghana (30.03.), the midfielder would have the opportunity to show that he can also harmonize with the Bayern stars, even if he does not play in Munich.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.