Two straight group-stage exits left the 2014 champions searching for their identity, and Julian Nagelsmann — a coach who lives in the tactical detail — has patched things back together with promise if not yet polish. There's genuine creativity here, enough to make hay against a kind group draw, but the results still wobble and this isn't a vintage German vintage. The big question: can a side blending fresh talent with familiar names rediscover the swagger before it matters most?