Bayern Munich: Josip Stanisic receives call-up to Croatia U21 team
By Daniel Garza
Josip Stanisic’s impressive start to the season has not gone unnoticed by either club or country. The Bayern Munich defender has featured in all three of Die Roten’s fixtures this month and has done well in his role.
Now, the 21-year-old will get his opportunity with Croatia’s U21 side in the upcoming September international break. Stanisic was one of 24 players selected for the fixtures against Azerbaijan and Finland.
The upcoming matches will be the first time Stanisic has featured for Croatia at the international level. Previously in his youth career, the defender had featured for Germany’s U19 team in two friendlies in 2018.
Stanisic is one of two players from the Bundesliga that were named to Croatia’s U21 squad. The other player is Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Pasalic who has yet to make an appearance at the U21 level for Croatia as well.
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Croatia is just beginning the qualification phase for the 2023 UEFA U21 Championship. They are paired in a group with five other countries which include Austria, Azerbaijan, Norway, Finland, and Estonia. The group winner will automatically qualify for the finals of the competition while the second-place team would head for the playoff round. Croatia has qualified for the last two editions of the U21 European Championships with a quarterfinal finish in the 2021 tournament.
A well-deserved call-up
Right-back has been the position Stanisic has been featuring in for Die Roten so far this season. SofaScore has given him an average rating of 6.4 for his two appearances in the Bundesliga.
Against Borussia Dortmund in the DFL-Supercap, Stanisic received a rating of 6.5 as he played 87 minutes in Bayern’s first trophy win of the 2021/22 campaign. He currently ranks fifth for Rekordmeister in tackles and interceptions and is fourth in clearances.
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There’s no question Stanisic is very deserving of this call-up to Croatia’s U21 side. He’s proven to be a reliable option for Bayern at right-back in recent weeks and he should be a key player for Croatia’s U21 team during the September international break. The 21-year-old has a bright future ahead of him for both club and country.