Euro 2020 signals the end of an era for Germany in football as Joachim Low will step down as the coach of the national team after the tournament and make way for Hansi Flick – who was the assistant manager when Germany became World Champions in 2014. Apart from the World Cup triumph, it has been a case of almost but never there for Die Mannschaft who would also be looking forward to leave the horrors of Russia 2018 behind.
A big news coming from the German camp is the return of Thomas Muller after a long absence. With Marc-André Ter Stegen out injured, Kevin Trapp too makes the cut alongside Bernd Leno, who will together be the understudy of captain Manuel Neuer.
Mats Hummels will add some valuable experience alongside Antonio Rudiger who has been instrumental in Chelsea’s campaign both domestically and in European football. Niklas Sule, Matthias Ginter, Marcel Halstenberg, and Robin Koch will be the other center backs to choose from. Both Halstenberg and Ginter had decent seasons for RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach, playing over 30 matches each across competitions.
Robin Koch, on the other hand, is a young promising defender who played 17 matches for Leeds United this season.
When it comes to fullbacks, Germany don’t have many renowned names. Robin Gosens and Christian Gunter will compete for the left-back or left wing-back spot while Lukas Klostermann and Jonas Hoffman are the choices for the right-back side.
Germany’s strength has always been their midfield, whether it was Ballack and Schweinsteiger or Ozil and Khedira. This tournament is also no different with the likes if Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Joshua Kimmich favorites to start in a midfield of three. Alongside this trio, there’s Emre Can who has been really solid for Borussia Dortmund. Leon Goretzka has been a superstar for Bayern over the last two seasons and Florian Neuhaus is among the finest young midfielders in the business.
Bayern Munich wingers Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry will look to exploit the wings for Germany with fellow teammate Jamal Musiala also getting picked.
Since the days of Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose, Germany haven’t had an out and out striker. This time, they go in the tournament with Timo Werner and Kevin Volland. Kai Havertz who has been deployed as the false 9 on a regular basis for the Germans also makes the cut.
Kai Havertz’s position will be interesting considering his role for Chelsea and Germany. On one hand, Havertz prefers playing the number 10 role. On the other, he has been deployed mainly as a winger and as a false 9 for both Chelsea and Germany. However, with two strikers in the German squad, it looks like Havertz will be given his preferred number 10 role in tandem with Thomas Muller. His role in the side would most probably be limited to the bench, but Low will look to him to make an impact in the latter parts of games.
Coming into Euro 2020, Germany have been beaten 6-0 by Spain in a friendly in November last year. A nation that generally has started off as favorite to lift the cup have their work cut off, especially in a group that consists of World Champions France and a very talented Portuguese side.
Low has recently shifted to using a false 9 with Marco Reus and Havertz, but with the former out of the squad and with two number 9s, we can expect Germany to play with a striker up front. With Germany’s fullbacks not the strongest, don’t be surprised if Kimmich is shifted to a right back position with Muller being played as a number 10.
All in all, Germany do not look like a team who can compete with the likes of England or France, but then again, they haven’t always had the strongest team on paper as well. If they can manage to qualify from the group stages, the Germans can definitely make it to the Semi-Finals of the competition. Joachim Low will also want to bid adieu on a high.
Players to Look Out For: Kai Havertz
Download Kai Havertz’s Scouting Report from The Scouting App
Germany Expected Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Joshua Kimmich, Niklas Sule, Antonio Rudiger, Christian Gunter; Ilkay Gundogan, Toni Kroos; Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry; Timo Werner
Need to realize your personal reports with our tools? Contact The Scouting App for more info: info@thescoutingapp.com