Jamal Musiala: England’s gift to Germany who baffled Messi and Co. in the Champions League

Jamal Musiala had impressed in the FIFA World Cup 2022 with Germany and continues to dominate in the midfield, against a side comprising Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Against a defence comprising Marquihos, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and Danilo Pereira, Musiala played like a schoolboy in an open field, running through defenders, dribbling past markers and supplying through balls in the final third. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jamal Musiala was one of the sparkling stars in Bayern Munich’s win over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2-0 win in the Champions League round of 16 return leg, at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old had impressed in the FIFA World Cup 2022 with Germany and continues to dominate in the midfield, against a side comprising Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Who is Jamal Musiala?

Born in Stuttgart to a British-Nigerian father and a German mother with Polish roots, Musiala’s family moved to England when he was seven years old and joined the Chelsea academy to hone his football skills.

In November 2020, Musiala was called up for the England under-21 team set to play the U-21 European Championship. The midfielder had also admitted that he was more comfortable playing in an English ecosystem.

Musiala – England’s gift to Germany

Musiala, however, changed his decision within six months, going on to admit that he has made up his mind to switch nationalities (for football) and represent the country he was born in – Germany.

Such a move was possible because he had not played for the Three Lions as a full international (at the senior level).

Making his debut in the World Cup qualifiers in May 2021, he was picked for both the European Championship as well as the World Cup in Qatar, making him one of the most promising young players in the tournament.

Musiala’s magic baffles PSG

The German was one of the most consistent attacking pivots for Bayern Munich as Lionel Messi and co. could not score a single goal across two legs in the Champions League.

In the second leg, against a defence comprising Marquihos, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and Danilo Pereira, Musiala played like a schoolboy in an open field, running through defenders, dribbling past markers and supplying through balls in the final third.

In the 82 minutes he spent on the pitch, Musiala had the most passes in the final third (27), the most attempted and completed take-ons (12 and 8, respectively).