Euro 2024 Group A: Five Bundesliga Players to Watch

Germany - Maximilian Mittelstädt

Maximilian Mittelstädt has been a revelation at left-back for VfB Stuttgart this season. Playing thirty-one games and finishing second in the Bundesliga under Sebastian Hoeneß's reign as Stuttgart coach, he has transformed into a top full back in the league.

His progressive play and man-to-man marking ability sets him apart from many of Germany's previous full back choices. When players like Kai Havertz and Robin Gosens have been mostly unsuccessfully deployed in this position, Nagelsmann seems to be set on the Stuttgart defender.

Filling in at full back in a problem position for Julian Nagelsmann, Mittelstädt's outstanding season earnt himself a place in the starting eleven in the friendlies against France and the Netherlands in March.

Viewers should expect Mittelstädt to also have a presence outside of the box from corners and free kicks alongside the veteran Toni Kroos as he has proved he has a deadly longe range shot ability which was displayed in the first goal against Netherlands in spring.

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Germany - Florian Wirtz

Florian Wirtz earnt himself his first ever Bundesliga player of the season award after a trophy rich and excellent breakthrough campaign as the key creator in Bayer Leverkusen's midfield.

Eleven goals and assists a piece prove his talent and ability have now proved that he is one of Europe's best midfielders and will prove a problem for all defenders when linking up with Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala.

He is one of Europe's hottest players and has a staggering market value of €130 million and his performances and age mean he has attracted the attention of some of Europe's biggest clubs.

Thanks to Xabi Alonso's tactical breakthroughs this campaign as manager of Bayer Leverkusen, Florian Wirtz has developed his skills as a press resistant player and a counter attack starter that can utilise the pace of players like Leroy Sané and Maximilian Beier.

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Hungary - Willi Orbán

Willi Orbán has been Mr RB Leipzig since their promotion season in 2015. His defensive performances over the seasons since then have proven that he is consistently within the top ten or fifteen centre backs in the Bundesliga.

With the footballing world full of expensive purchases of young talent and changes within top tier clubs in Europe, Orban's position as a mainstay in Leipzig's defence proves that even at the age of 31 he is a key player for Hungary.

In the Euros, Hungary have struggled as of recent times to push on and reach the latter stages. However, big results against top sides like England and Germany in 2022 prove that this side have the ability to be the tournament's dark horse.

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Switzerland - Nico Elvedi

Nico Elvedi is one of those players that is someone that Switzerland will look to in order to control and lead their defence. With over fifty caps at only twenty-seven, Elvedi has a huge amount of international experience playing in two World Cups (2018 and 2022) as well as the most recent edition of the Euros (2020).

Despite turbulence at Borussia Mönchengladbach, the Swiss centre back provides stability and a cool head should Switzerland cause an upset this Euro campaign.

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Switzerland - Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka has gone from strength to strength this season at Bayer Leverkusen. The accolades in the shape of the major trophies that had mostly eluded him at Arsenal have now been won in the shape of a league and cup double.

Adding to this, he transitioned extremely well from his role as captain of Arsenal to becoming a voice of experience at Bayer 04. His once abrasive and hot headed playing style has cooled off now and he was one of the Bundesliga's best midfielders whilst controlling the tempo of the Bundesliga's first unbeaten side.

In a more than escapable group, Xhaka now has the chance to display some character and showcase his ability on the international stage.

Honourable Mentions:

Obviously, in a group that contains Germany and therefore a lot of Bundesliga players for "Die Mannschaft" there are a lot of players who can have notable tournaments this summer.

András Schäfer - Hungary

This in mind, the first pick for a player who can also have an impact is András Schäfer for Hungary. The twenty-five-year-old made twenty appearances in the Bundesliga this season for Union Berlin and has picked up in form since returning from his injury in late 2023.

Unfortunate to miss the Champions League campaign with a major foot surgery and recovery, Schäfer cemented himself as a first choice under Nenad Bjelica in the latter stages of the season.