International football is back as the Euro 2020 is finally upon us. Despite being “Welt Meisters” thrice, the last time Germany won the Euros was back in 1996. A certain sheen has been lost from the German side that won the World Cup in 2014. They were dumped out of the subsequent World Cup in the group stages itself and seek to make things right this time around. An added incentive will be the departure of head coach, Joachim Lowe, who leaves his position at the end of the tournament. Die Mannschaft will want to send their boss out with a win. This article previews Germany’s chances at the upcoming Euro 2020.

Germany Squad

Goalkeepers – Manuel Neuer, Bernd Leno, Kevin Trapp
Defenders – Mats Hummels, Antonio Rudiger, Matthias Ginter, Emre Can, Niklas Sule, Lukas Klostermann, Robin Koch, Robin Gosens, Christian Gunter
Midfielders – Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gundogan, Leon Goretzka, Kai Havertz, Florian Neuhaus, Jonas Hofmann, Jamal Musiala
Forwards – Timo Werner, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Kevin Volland

Key Players And Strengths

The core of Germany’s prowess lies in their midfield. Not only do they have good depth, but also have different styles of players in their arsenal. The likes of Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gundogan, Thomas Muller and even Toni Kroos are coming off the back of great individual seasons. Kimmich has been very impressive for Bayern Munich, largely playing in a double pivot. He will look to move the ball up the pitch while linking up with the forwards and causing uncertainty for the opposition defenders. It is also very likely that he will line up alongside his Bayern teammate, Leon Goretzka, which will mean that the two are in sync. Kimmich may move to right-back to combat Germany’s defensive frailties according to rumours.

Thomas Muller revived this career under Niko Kovac and has been immense over the last 2 seasons. He created an enormous 111 chances for Die Bavarians and racked up 18 assists as well. Known as “Die Raumdeuter” or the space interpreter, Muller will be crucial to Germany going forward. Florian Neuhaus will be hoping for some minutes as well after a versatile display for Borussia Monchengladbach. Kai Havertz’s recent form has boosted his confidence and will hope to keep that going. Youngster, Jamal Musiala, is also a great option off the bench.

Weaknesses

Germany’s frontline is a bit of a concern as Timo Werner and Leroy Sane haven’t done as well as they might have hoped. Having an underperforming frontline ahead of a lucrative midfield is very wasteful. Serge Gnabry, too, has had an underwhelming season although he usually turns up for Germany.

However, this is solvable. Thomas Muller can also play an attacking role should the need arise. Timo Werner’s excellent off the ball movement can be used as decoy runs to create space for players like Ilkay Gundogan to get in behind. Kevin Volland has had a 16 goals, 7 assists season for Monaco and is a dark horse for the Germans.

Germany’s defence is quite shaky and vulnerable. The reliable centre-back pairing of Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng is not the same anymore. Antonio Rudiger has been immense for Chelsea this season and will be a shoo-in. Monchengladbach’s Matthias Ginter or Leeds United’s Robin Koch can be called upon but an ageing Hummels’ starting spot is non-negotiable.

Recent Form

Die Mannschaft has not been the same since 2014 when they were a well-oiled machine. Their 2016 Euros ended in heartbreak as they got knocked out by France in the semi-finals. They followed that up by finishing dead-last in their 2018 World Cup group, a group containing South Korea, Mexico and Sweden. Joachim Lowe’s men tried to look for redemption by qualifying for the next round of the Nations League. Spain thrashed them 6-0 in a must-win game that saw them crash out of yet another tournament.

How Far Will Germany Go?

This will be very tough to predict as Germany sit in the group of death. Portugal and France have been tipped as potential winners which makes it an even tougher challenge. However, they have a lifeline as Euro 2016 introduced a new law that allowed 4 of the best 3rd placed teams to proceed to the knockout stages. Die Mannschaft will look to upset the odds by finishing in the top 2 but alternatively will have their eyes on the 3rd place spot as well. Winning the tournament will be beyond their expectations but nothing is impossible in football. Realistically, they should reach the quarter-finals or semis.