Jonathan Tah has come under fire following Germany's 1-2 defeat to Portugal in the Nations League semifinal, just days after finalizing his transfer to Bayern Munich. The 29-year-old defender, who helped Bayer Leverkusen win their historic Bundesliga title in 2024, couldn't fill the void left by the injured Antonio Rüdiger.
"The defense showed instability without the injured Rüdiger. Tah, who is expected to become the defensive leader at Bayern Munich, couldn't cover Rüdiger's absence," reported German media after the disappointing home loss.
The criticism comes at an awkward moment for Tah, who officially committed to Bayern Munich last week on a four-year contract. After announcing his decision to leave Leverkusen as a free agent, the central defender had been linked with several top clubs, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, before ultimately choosing the Bavarian giants.
Former German captain Michael Ballack didn't hold back in his assessment of the national team's defensive issues. "The absences of Jamal Musiala, Nico Schlotterbeck and Antonio Rüdiger are a great burden for the team," Ballack commented on DAZN, adding: "At the back, with Rüdiger and Schlotterbeck missing, we don't have enough stability."
Interestingly, even 36-year-old Jerome Boateng, the 2014 World Cup winner currently playing for Austrian side Linz, took a sarcastic swipe at the team's performance without his friend Rüdiger. "Without Rüdiger better, no?" he wrote ironically on Instagram.
German media highlighted that Tah failed to step up as a "true leader" in defense, noting that it was "not a good day" for him in his first match after announcing his Bayern transfer. The central defender, who despite approaching his thirties has never established himself as a regular for the national team, now faces the challenge of proving his critics wrong.
Tah joined Bayern stating his ambition to "win many titles" with the club. But after this shaky international performance, will he live up to the expectations in Munich? The pressure is certainly on.
