With the World Cup just around the corner, will Germany retain their crown?
There’s something about Germany’s national team and its tendency to be excellent at football. After all, they’re the same team that has won four World Cups over the years. That dominance is perhaps why Gary Lineker said “Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.” With the possibility of another title win, we take a look at how Germany could propel themselves to victory this summer.
Experience
The potential German starting XI for the World Cup will probably feature many of the players who were also regular starters in the country’s 2014 campaign. Stars like Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, and current captain and goalkeeper (if physically fit) Manuel Neuer. Not only do they know what it’s like to compete at the highest stage, but they’re also well aware of what it takes to win it. Even if one of these players fails to start, they will prove to be a valuable asset in the squad as the youngsters, or even the players who are featuring for the first time, could benefit from their experience.
Germany’s @esmuellert_ leading the way in Russia 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/yLTxnIppHm
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 4, 2018
Squad Depth
This is something all managers yearn to have. Many could claim to have the best starting XI, but it is almost impossible to win a tournament with just eleven players – let alone a competition like the World Cup. Decent squad depth means a variety of options, and it provides a suitable replacement in case someone gets injured. Luckily for the German national team, they have been blessed with just that.
Germany’s line-up is likely to look a lot like this:
(Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Neuer; Kimmich, Hummels, Boateng, Hector; Kroos, Khedira; Müller, Özil, Reus; Werner
However, Germany could not field any of the players mentioned above and still manage to field a formidable side:
(Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Ter Stegen; Ginter, Süle, Rüdiger, Plattenhart; Gündogan, Rudy; Brandt, Draxler, Sane; Petersen
The fact that Mario Götze and Schürrle (the players who scored and assisted the winner against Argentina respectively) have been left at home further illustrates the plethora of options Joachim Löw has at his disposal.
The Manager
Speaking of the manager, Joachim Löw is someone who has proven himself a worthy candidate to lead the world’s greatest side to success once again. He led the nation to World Cup glory in 2014, and his tactics played a major role in the German’s memorable 7-1 thrashing of Brazil. In Euro 2016, he led them to the semi-final and won the Confederations Cup in 2017. Thus, it’s very likely that Die Mannschaft will be a strong force in this tournament as well, and anyone who bets against them will likely be made to look foolish.
Young Stars
While the German team is full of experienced and established names, it will also be hosting a few young and emerging stars – whose energy and desire to win will certainly be of great use to the team. Two such players are Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich and RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner. Despite being very young, the two excel at what they do best, and also go some way to solving the problems Germany faced after the retirements of Lahm (at right-back) and Miroslav Klose (the striker whose heir Germany have since struggled to find).
While Timo Werner looks like the long-term solution to Germany’s striker issues, Kimmich has cemented himself as Lahm’s natural successor at Bayern – and the right-back will try to do the same in the national team. He racked up a whopping 10 assists last season, the highest among right-backs in Europe’s top five leagues, and assisted another 9 in World Cup qualifiers. Werner, on the other hand, scored 13 and assisted seven in the recently-concluded Bundesliga season.
Ter Stegen knows his place in the Germany side. pic.twitter.com/y9zNbWGAVx
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 17, 2018
Apart from all the factors listed above, there are plenty of other reasons as to why Germany can be considered favourites. The winning mentality of the side, and the boost in confidence which comes from their recent triumph in the Confederations Cup, are very likely to work in their favour. Also, the return of goalkeeping talisman Manuel Neuer will grant the team the confidence of having the world’s best goalkeeper between the sticks – and is also sure to give them a huge advantage over their opposition.
With all that said, Germany is sure to face fierce competition from the likes of Spain, France, and Brazil among many others – and regardless of who emerges as the victor, this World Cup is sure to be an exciting and extremely entertaining affair.