3 Impressive Chelsea stars at the World Cup so far

2. Melanie Leupolz

For the first time since she scored against the Portuguese on November 30, 2021, Melanie Leupolz cracked the starting lineup for her national team. Not only did she perform brilliantly against Morocco in her 63 minutes on the pitch, her just being out there on the World Cup stage less than a year after having a baby is remarkable. It was the second straight World Cup in which Leupolz started for her nation. In 2019, the midfielder started in three of the four games in which she played a part in over in France.

Her ability to seamlessly transition back into the game of women’s football post pregnancy is something that does not get talked about enough. First she did it at Chelsea, now the Germans are reaping the benefits on the world stage. Crystal Dunn of the USWNT along with Leupolz have demonstrated that having a baby does not mean the end of one’s career.

If it was not for the offside flag, the defensive midfielder would have bagged an assist in her return to Germany’s starting XI. Germany’s No. 18 was solid in her distribution, completing over 82 percent of her passes. Defensively, she tied Svenja Huth for the team lead in tackles plus interceptions. It was a good time to get Leupolz back into the starting lineup considering the opposition. She is more than capable to deliver a full 90-minute outing if called upon. She is simply an exceptional holding midfielder. Leupolz showed that in a performance where her nation thrashed a far inferior opponent. Germany missed her last summer in the Women’s Euros, but this year, the west London midfielder is ready remind the world just how talented she is.