SILKY ILKAY
He’s spot-on under pressure
WHEN it comes to the pressure of penalties at Wembley, there are few more accomplished takers than Ilkay Gundogan. England beware...
The Germany midfielder, set to play a key role for his country in tonight’s last-16 tie, has a 100 per cent record.
Four times Manchester City star Gundogan has stepped up to take spot-kicks at Wembley – and converted on every occasion.
If tonight’s knockout encounter does go to another nail-biting shoot-out, there will be few cooler customers inside the famous stadium than the 30-year-old.
Gundogan scored from the spot for Borussia Dortmund against Bayern Munich in the 2013 allgerman Champions League final at Wembley but it was not enough as Jurgen Klopp’s side lost 2-1.
With City regular visitors to Wembley in recent years, Gundogan has added to his successful spot-kick tally.
He was on target in a 3-1 Premier
League victory against Spurs in April 2018 and made it a hat-trick of penalties at the venue with the opener in the shoot-out win over Chelsea to win the 2019 EFL Cup.
A few months later, he grabbed his fourth from the spot, again scoring the first in a shoot-out as City beat Liverpool to lift the Community Shield.
Wembley has certainly proved a happy hunting ground for him.
Of the 12 games he has played there, he has left victorious on nine occasions.
And Germany manager Joachim Low will look to utilise that experience tonight, playing Gundogan, who will earn his 50th cap, in midfield with the equally venerable Toni Kroos.
But that pairing has drawn some criticism in Germany, with former skipper, World Cup and Euro 96 winner Jurgen Klinsmann claiming playing both does not work.
Klinsmann, at tonight’s game as part of the BBC’S team of pundits, said: “In the middle of the park we have Kroos and Gundogan. Every time they both go on the field, it’s not working out perfectly.
“Once Kroos is not there, Gundogan plays incredibly well, then once Kross is back, he struggles, because both want the ball constantly.”
Despite that Low is likely to select both to anchor Germany’s midfield, affording greater protection to a defence which has looked vulnerable throughout the tournament.
Gundogan is coming off the back of his most prolific season at City, with his 17 goals making him their top scorer last term as they won the Premier League, EFL Cup and reached the Champions League final.
If Germany are to win tonight, he will have to rediscover that level of influence, having failed to produce his best so far in the tournament. But Wembley – particularly when it comes to the pressure of taking penalties – seems to always bring out the best in him.