Hunting the Milla record 

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TORONTO — It felt inevitable from the moment he came on. Germany were down 1-0 against Ivory Coast thanks to a goal by Franck Kessié (30’). But then 43,036 spectators at BMO Field in Toronto witnessed history. In the 60th minute, Julian Nagelsmann brought on Deniz Undav for Jamal Musiala. Back in Germany, Undav has been a major talking point, with many fans demanding that the Stuttgart striker start for his country. Undav, Undav, Undav, chants could also be heard at BMO Field, where German fans made up the vast majority of the support.

The script then wrote itself. Eight minutes after coming on, Undav scored the equalizer. “I knew the ball would go in the moment I crossed it to Deniz,” midfielder Nadiem Amiri said after the game in the mixed zone. “He is incredible. A killer in front of goal. I think he had three shots on goal and scored twice. He is phenomenal. To have him on our team really helps.” Phenomenal might be an understatement. In the fourth minute of injury time, Undav was at it again, scoring from short range after an incredible pass by Felix Nmecha to win the game for Germany (2-1). The goal means that Undav has now scored every 56 minutes at this tournament and contributed a goal every 11 minutes.

Furthermore, his five goal contributions from the bench are the most since Roger Milla managed six from the bench at the 1990 World Cup. Milla, however, did it in five games. In theory, there is still time for Undav to break the record. But that will depend on whether Nagelsmann continues to insist on starting him from the bench. “It’s possible,” Nagelsmann said when asked about Undav. “But he’s doing very well in his current role. It can go in both directions.”

Should Deniz Undav start for Germany?

It is certainly a conundrum Nagelsmann faces. Without a doubt, Undav is the most dangerous forward in the Germany team. In fact, it is pretty much a guarantee that he scores if the ball falls to his feet inside the box. But can he find that space if he starts for Germany? His record for Stuttgart, where he scored 19 goals in 29 games or every 118 minutes, certainly suggests as much.

What does Undav think? “It comes down to the coach,” Undav said. “It is important that everyone in the team can see that the players from the bench can decide games. It wasn’t just me. But all players who came from the bench can make a difference. Look at Amiri; he didn’t play last week, and today he provided an assist. It is an important signal to the team that we can always add quality.” In other words, Undav seems comfortable in his role. At least in the public. That’s bad news for Milla’s record. At least in theory, as there is a pretty good chance that Undav will start against Ecuador.