David Raum knew exactly what he was going to do at the weekend. "I'm going to watch the goal a few times," said the Leipzig player before taking the team bus from Sinsheim to the DFB headquarters in Franconia that night.
In his 31st international match, the 27-year-old full-back scored his first goal for Germany. In the 12th minute, the left-footer curled a free-kick through the opposing wall and into the right-hand corner. "Fantastic. I'm delighted," said the RB Leipzig captain.
Raum laid the foundation for the 4-0 win over Luxembourg in the World Cup qualifiers at the TSG Hoffenheim Arena. And it was a goal with an announcement, as he proudly told us afterwards. "I already had a good feeling today, here in my old living room," said the former Hoffenheim professional.
He had also announced his moment of happiness to a DFB team physiotherapist. "When I was lying on the couch with him before the game, I said: It's time for a goal today. He just laughed," said Raum.
Before the free-kick, he was standing in front of the ball talking to Florian Wirtz. Did he have to negotiate with his teammate about the execution? "Flo and I have already practiced free kicks in the training sessions. I went and asked him. He said you can take it," Raum revealed.
"I had a good feeling. I had already scored one at the club recently," he said. "Hard work pays off. I train it every week. Twice I stay longer, about ten shots."
He doesn't have a role model as a free-kick taker, Raum said. "Nah, I've kind of found my own technique," said Raum. And now he has finally managed to score his first international goal, after scoring in the 3-1 win against Northern Ireland in Cologne in September. However, the goal was conceded for offside.
"I'm really pleased that it worked out now. It's nice that I was able to score my first goal," said the defender. Incidentally, national coach Julian Nagelsmann had given him a special role in the home game. "The coach's brief was. To bring emotion and energy onto the pitch," said Raum. He fulfilled this mission not only for everyone to see with his very emotional goal celebration.
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