Disappointed: Aleksandar Pavlovic (Germany)
Watching all three of Germany's games in the group stage, it is easy to notice how much Aleksandar Pavlovic is struggling in the midfield.
A player who has been nothing but consistent for Bayern Munich looked out of place and unflattering physically and technically.
Pavlovic won 1/5 duels against the Ivory Coast and 3/10 against Ecuador, and lost a lot of possession in both games when Germany struggled.
He was generally ineffective with the ball and had no creative impact on the offensive side.
It would be extremely harsh to put all the blame on the 22-year-old, who is just having his debut campaign in the World Cup.
Julian Nagelsmann is setting him up for failure by playing him as a single pivot in build-up, meaning he has to absorb a lot of pressure from three to four defenders at the same time.
Pavlovic is also facing the burden of being the lone creative outlet in the midfield, with Felix Nmecha being pushed higher up the field.
That is something he has never been truly excellent at. Pavlovic is better as a player who dictates tempo and works as a satellite around more creative players.
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