It is hard to think about the European championships this summer, especially with the thrilling finishes to the domestic season around Europe and with the MLS starting up, it is a lot to keep up with. European footballers across the world are competing for spots in their national teams for the Euros. The last post predicted the English starting 11, in this post the TGH will give their predictions about who should start for the German national team. German manager Joachim Low will have one more chance to win a major title before he retires after this tournament and fans are hoping for better results than what they have seen in World Cup qualifying. Germany have lined up in a 3-4-3 in five of their past eight matches, let’s use that formation in building the predicted squad.
Image Courtesy of Bundesliga.com
GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern München) – Over the past year, Neuer led his club side to six(!) club titles. The Bayern man also has 41 clean sheets for his national team and completed 13 successful long passes in the last Champions League final. The man who redefined the goalie’s role in a side and who is still churning out top performances is still the number one.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea) – A staple in Tuchel’s side at Stamford Bridge this season. The Chelsea man has rounded into form and alongside Thiago Silva have provided one of the best defenses in Europe as Chelsea look to win the Champions League this season for the first time since 2012.
CB: Niklas Süle (Bayern München) – Standing at 6’4, the big man has won all 15 Bundesliga matches he has started this season. Süle has appeared for Germany on 29 occasions and won the Confederations Cup with Germany in 2017. His menacing presence in the back line will be crucial for Germany.
CB: Matthias Ginter (Borussia M’Gladbach) – When Low was asked about his view on Ginter he said “I have the feeling he is undervalued by the public, when he’s played with us, he’s always done his job well.” You’d love to hear that from the national team manager. His versatility will be a plus, as he can also play in the midfield. Look for the experienced defender to be in the squad this summer.
(Photo by RUI VIEIRA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
LM: Leroy Sané (Bayern München) – Sané has experienced a bit in a dip of form and admiration for the young, quick midfielder since moving to Bayern from Manchester City in 2020. The man can still provide some magic on his day, and if he has the confidence, he is a world beater. He has five goals and nine assists in a crowded Bayern attack and can provide some skill and crosses from the left flank.
CM: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) – Kroos has made 345 appearances for Real Madrid since joining in 2014 and has made 101 appearances for Germany. His third in assist from set-pieces and top ten in passes into the final third in La Liga this season. He is one of the last remaining players from the German World Cup win in 2014 and he’ll still be there this summer.
CM: Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City) – He has suddenly turned into a goal scorer and right when Manchester City needed it. He has 12 this season, one less than his total tally between 2016 and last season. With Kroos providing the long passes going forward, Gündogan is the perfect pairing with Kroos to get forward and provide attack from the midfield.
RM: Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig) – This says right midfielder, but I’d expect Klostermann to drop back and provide defensive coverage when the rest of his midfielders go forward. He scored for Leipzig against Dortmund last weekend, proving his versatility.
Image Courtesy of NBC Sports.
LW: Serge Gnabry (Bayern München) – Who could forget when Serge made sure London was still red with four against Tottenham in the Champions League. He has scored 52 goals for Bayern since joining, and has proven the doubters wrong after “failing” at Arsenal. He can be electric going forward on the wings and will provide goals for Germany.
ST: Timo Werner (Chelsea) – Werner’s struggles have been well documented since he joined the Premier League from RB Leipzig. People overestimate the toughness of the Premier League and Werner has come into form in the recent games, with two goals and two assists in his last five. His confidence is back and expect this man to finish top goalscorer this summer.
RW: Kai Havertz (Chelsea) – Having contracted COVID-19 when coming over from Leverkusen this past summer, it took a while for Havertz to get into form and then find his place in the Chelsea team. In his last three Premier League matches, he has provided three goals and an assist. His 70 million pound transfer fee may be weighing on him, but you can’t deny he has the ability to become world class and provide for Germany this summer.
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