Putting another midfielder on who fits Huang Kaiwen's style, Bender joins Khedira in the middle.
That's enough to go toe‑to‑toe with the Dutch on midfield toughness.
Once he'd figured out the plan, Löw subconsciously rubbed the top of his head, always feeling this head of hair was kind of in the way.
...
Halftime is over.
The German players have already started warming up on the touchline.
Not seeing Kroos, Huang Kaiwen shook his head with a bit of regret.
Looks like Kroos can only be a mascot at this European Cup.
A few minutes later, Löw's substitution almost made Huang Kaiwen blurt out in excitement.
Lars Bender comes on for Thomas Müller!!!
Müller might have been awkward today, but his crosses from the right had still caused plenty of trouble for the Netherlands' defense; with Müller off, he can finally relax about Williams' flank.
If he just had a Van Bronckhorst, Huang Kaiwen wouldn't be so on edge.
