The international break has seen Germany centre-back Robin Koch bounce back from some worrying individual errors in a Leeds United shirt.
Koch had been at fault for goals conceded against Leicester City and Crystal Palace in the build-up to the international break but has presided over two victories at the heart of Germany's defensive structure in the past week.
Against the Czech Republic, Koch appeared composed in a sweeper's role, tidying up behind Germany's defence and spraying passes into more advanced areas from his deep starting position.
The 24-year-old managed to keep a clean sheet in that game, and while a second elusive shutout escaped him against Ukraine, Koch impressed again in a 3-1 victory.
The key difference between the wins over the Czechs and the Ukrainians is that Koch featured more prominently as something of a defensive midfielder against Ukraine. His starting position appeared to be as the most central defender in a back three, but Germany's defence took on a form which resembled more of a back four, with Koch playing slightly in front.
He attempted 58 passes, misplacing just three according to WhoScored, and made more interceptions than any other player on the pitch with four.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Koch's performance was his long passing. His distribution was near perfect throughout the game, and managed to find a teammate from seven of his nine long pass attempts.
Koch won both of the tackles he attempted and anchored Germany's team, much in the same way that Kalvin Phillips does at Elland Road. The 24-year-old's secure positioning in front of the defence meant Leon Goretzka was given licence to break further forward and support the attacking line.
From there, the Bayern Munich man registered two assists, something which would have been all the more difficult had he been tasked with increased defensive work.
Instead, Koch happily shouldered that responsibility, and was a frequent target to receive from his centre-backs between the Ukrainians' midfield and forward line, which certainly helped with Germany's overall ball progression and chance creation.
There were certainly parallels in Koch's performance and the typical defensive midfield display Leeds have come to expect from Kalvin Phillips. Namely, his distribution and positional discipline, Koch's outing echoed much of what makes Phillips such an integral part of Leeds setup.
If nothing else, it offers Marcelo Bielsa an alternative, in the event that Phillips succumbs to another lengthy injury.
With Koch's increasing comfort in a Leeds shirt, and apparent ease at playing in a more advanced role than he has been accustomed to, it certainly provides another string to Bielsa's tactical bow.
