The German national team has already celebrated two wins and a draw at the 2024 European Championship on home soil, with Niclas Füllkrug on the scoreboard twice.
The “Gap” struck in the 68th minute in the first game, and in the third game against Switzerland he secured the DFB team’s group win in the 90th +2.
And that’s fitting, because Niclas Füllkrug’s goals tend to come late. But what about the other minutes of the game? We took a look at the data and analyzed it for you: This is when Füllkrug likes to score the most in his career – whether club or national team
Niclas Füllkrug goals: Better late than too early
172 goals have been scored by the ice-cold striker so far in his career, 13 of them in the national team. A sensational rate, with just 19 appearances!
And a look at the stats immediately shows: Füllkrug loves late goals! He has never scored more often than in the 86th and 92nd (or 90+2) minute of a match – a whopping six goals! Most recently at the EURO against Switzerland.
In fact, the 31-year-old has scored 13 goals in the 90th minute or later! He scored his latest goal in 90.+9 minutes, in a 1:1 against Schalke 04 in Werder Bremen kit. In November 2021, he converted the penalty to equalize late on.
It also turns out that only two of his favorite minutes are in the first half. He scored four times in the 24th minute and five times in the 6th minute. So he can also shoot quickly from the starting blocks
Füllkrug, man for the important DFB goals
The explanation for the late goals is of course also that he often came off the bench and was therefore only able to score late on. However, he simply did that.
This was also the case in the DFB jersey, where he was mostly used from the bench. He only scored four times in the first half (6th, 12th, 33rd & 44th minute).
He scored more goals from the 80th minute alone, namely five. He scored for Germany in the 80th, 83rd, 85th, 89th and 90th +2 minutes.
The same can of course be expected to continue at the European Championship, where Julian Nagelsmann will probably bring him on late on a number of occasions to turn the tide further in Germany’s favor.
Harry Kane for England
By the way, Bayern star striker Harry Kane has a similar role for England in terms of goals. Of course, he is a clear starter for England and, as far as possible, plays every single minute of every game.
As a result, many of his 64 goals for the Three Lions have also come in the first half, with four minutes in the first half-hour in the 18th, 19th, 24th and 27th in which he has scored at least twice. His European Championship goal against Denmark in the 18th minute means he now has three goals.
However, it is all the more astonishing that he has also scored the most goals in the 90th minute (4)! So his power is obviously enough to score the important goals just before the end.
And not just before the end of the game, but also before half-time. Kane scored exactly the same number of goals (4) in the 45th minute. Spectacular!
Incidentally, the striker scored his latest goal in an England shirt in the 104th minute. Where? At the 2021 European Championship against Denmark, scoring the late winner and advancing to the final.
But for one of the hottest contenders for top scorer at the European Championship, such superlatives are hardly surprising
