For a long time, crucial national team matches have not been decided by young players. But the upcoming clash between Germany vs Spain is highly anticipated, not only because it pits two of the best central midfielders in football today (Kroos vs. Rodri) against each other but also because it features two young prodigies, Yamal and Musiala, who are already making waves.

The convincing victories in the quarter-finals have brought Germany vs Spain to face off in the semifinals of Euro 2024. Clearly, they are the best-performing teams in Euro 2024 so far, and much of their success is attributed to the solid and energetic performances of their young talents. Among them, the 21-year-old German star Jamal Musiala and Spain’s youngest player at Euro 2024, Lamine Yamal, stand out.

Alongside Mikautadze (Georgia) and Ivan Schranz (Slovakia), Musiala is among the top three scorers of Euro 2024 with three goals. While the other two players have been eliminated and thus cannot increase their tally, Musiala still has the opportunity to enhance his record and aim for the championship with the German national team.

On the other hand, Lamine Yamal’s statistics may not be as impressive; he has yet to score a goal but has made significant contributions to Spain’s fast-paced play. Yamal has provided two assists in Euro 2024. His first assist helped Spain end Croatia’s slim hopes of earning points on the opening day, and his most recent assist came in Spain’s 4-1 victory over Georgia in the Round of 16. Yamal’s accurate cross set up Ruiz’s goal to make it 2-1, which led to a comeback win for Spain.

The upcoming duel between these two young talents in the quarterfinals is highly anticipated. Both started as early bloomers and were fortunate to catch the eye of scouts. Musiala moved to England at the age of 7, joining Southampton’s youth academy before transferring to Chelsea’s youth team in 2011, where he scored four goals in his debut match.

“A talented player to the extent that I believe he will soon become a star, he is incredibly professional despite being just a kid,” exclaimed coach Rosh Batii at that time. Somehow, Bayern managed to lure him away from Stamford Bridge, and Musiala has gradually shone at the German club. His market value now exceeds 80 million euros.

Yamal’s story is even more impressive as he joined a club in the northern part of Barcelona at just three and a half years old. With his outstanding skills, he played in the six-year-old category. During a training session, he caught the eye of Barca scouts with a hat-trick. These were the first steps that led Yamal to make a mark at Euro 2024 as the youngest player in the tournament. He was promoted to the Barca B team at the age of 15. His then-coach Rafa Marquez spoke about this exceptional case: “Lamine Yamal is among those rare young talents. Therefore, he can play in any competition, regardless of age. I believe that after Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, Lamine could become the next icon of Barca!”

In a recent interview, Musiala also expressed admiration for the young Spanish talent Lamine Yamal: “I am very impressed by Lamine Yamal from Spain. I am always struck by players with excellent one-on-one skills. Such players are always courageous and bring beauty to the game.”

This will be a challenge that Germany will need to overcome in their upcoming encounter with Spain. To win against Spain, there are several key issues that Nagelsmann will need to address. First, he needs a player who can handle Rodri. It is crucial to prevent this player from easily distributing the ball or finding space to operate. The second and third issues are to tightly mark the flanks. Why are these two issues combined? Simply because Spain is very good at wing attacks in this tournament, developing play from the back through full-backs Carvajal and Cucurella. The targets in these plays are Nico Williams and Yamal.

While it is easier said than done to manage these three issues, dealing with them is not simple. On the right flank, Germany can rely on Kimmich’s cleverness and vision, but the left flank with Raum or Mittelstädt (most likely Raum due to his agility and effective wing play) is still inexperienced. They may be nervous, tense, and lose their composure—qualities that should be avoided in such a high-stakes knockout match. Raum will need more support. In this context, the confrontation between Musiala and Yamal will become even more prominent. Musiala will operate on Germany’s left wing in their attacking play, while Yamal will play on the right wing as per Spain’s strategy. Spain will also need to watch out for Musiala’s dribbling from the wing into the center for combinations or shots on goal, as well as his potential to create chances.

The duel between Yamal and Musiala will surely be one of the most exciting encounters in the Euro 2024 semifinal clash in Stuttgart. If either Musiala or Yamal continues their impressive performances in the quarterfinals to help their team advance, they could very well aim for the Best Player of the Tournament award or even be in the running for the 2024 Ballon d’Or.