Joshua Kimmich at wing back? I’m not convinced. Wouldn’t a 4-3-3 be ideal for this Germany? Gnabry and Sane on the wings. Müller up top, through the middle. A midfield of three of Kimmich, Kroos and Gündogan sounds useful, balanced even. Hell, you could swap out Gündogan with Goretzka and be on your way.

The back four? Ok, yikes. This is where the quarters roll into the storm drain. A centerback pairing of Robin Kotch and Hummels, or Hummels and Rudiger is serviceable at best.

The fullbacks? Admittingly a sparse selection. Lukas Klosterman at rightback and Gosen on the left? Could this work? DFB do you need an intern?

Portugal v. Germany from Munich. The lineups are in.

Ok, changed my mind. Stick with this wingback system and a back three. What a ball by Kimmich to Gosen. Wingback to wingback. But remember, Müller’s slide tackle nudge pass kept the buildup alive.

Kimmich also drifted centrally and played a great one-two on the edge of the box with Müller who played in the irresistible Gosen for the goal.

Another Taylor Twellman yarn: Apparently after a Juventus v Atalanta match Gosen asked Ronaldo to switch shirts. Ronaldo said no. Maybe after today’s match?

I tracked Thomas Müller for the last 20 minutes or so of the match. Easy to do with his pink Adidas boots. My conclusion from this close read? The Raumdeuter lives!

In one sequence he popped up on the right during the build up in Germany’s attacking third. Minutes later he dropped into left midfield to block an attempted crossfield ball. Then he appeared around the edge of the 18 and played as a 10. With and without the ball, Müller would appear in the best patch of space to help Germany attack or defend.

The Raumdeuter lives!

Some players dazzle with their grace on the ball. Some enthrall with their passing (See Paul Pogba). Others amaze with their power in the tackle. But few enchant with their movement off the ball. Müller is one of those few.