Germany will be looking to end their recent World Cup struggles and put themselves in the mix for 2026 glory.
In this article, we’ll cover
A point to prove
It’s not very often that you say that about Germany when it comes to major tournament football.
Yet since winning their fourth World Cup in 2014, Die Nationalelf have done themselves a serious injustice on the world’s biggest stage.
Their title defence fell at the first hurdle in 2018, with memories of Manuel Neuer getting caught deep inside South Korea’s half during their 2-0 defeat still painful to them.
They also bowed out in the group stage four years ago, while their quest for home glory in Euro 2024 ended in a heartbreaking quarter-final loss against eventual champions Spain.
However, Germany have shown recent signs that they are starting to settle again and develop consistency following a lengthy transitional period.
Defensively solid
Germany also failed to capitalise on home advantage when they hosted last year’s Nations League finals, eventually having to settle for a fourth-place finish.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side then made a losing start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, going down 2-0 in Slovakia.
Nevertheless, they responded brilliantly to that setback, reeling off five successive wins with four clean sheets along the way.
The last of these came in their group decider against Slovakia when, needing victory, they condemned their rivals to a comprehensive 6-0 rout.
Drawn in Group E alongside Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador, Germany will have the opportunity to continue building on their defensive solidity, before potentially facing tougher opponents later in the tournament.
- Enhanced Offers
- Request A Bet Feature
- Vast selection of sports markets
#AD 18+ New customers only. £10 minimum deposit. First single, e/w or multiples bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 x £10 bet tokens for Football BuildABets only. 2 x £10 bet tokens for Football Accas only. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free Bets are non-withdrawable. Free Bets expire after 7 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.
- Enhanced Offers
- Exceptional Mobile App
- Fun Social Media Content
#AD 18+ New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on Football on odds of min 1.5 (1/2), get £50 in Free Bet Builders after the qualifying bet has been settled. Rewards valid for 90 days. Only deposits via Pay by Bank, cards & Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
A mix of youth and experience
In general, mainly down to the period of transition, there aren’t too many caps floating around the Germany squad nowadays.
The cap tallies of young stars Nick Woltemade, Malick Thiaw and Aleksandr Pavlovic are still in single figures
However, the experience levels are heavily boosted by 106-cap skipper Joshua Kimmich, along with Leon Goretzka, Antonio Rudiger and Leroy Sane – all of whom have surpassed the 60-cap mark.
Add the likes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Serge Gnabry to the mix – complemented by the youth of Florian Wirtz and Karim Adeyemi – and there really is a nice balance to Germany’s squad.
Forwards with impressive strike rates
Between 2002 and 2014, free-scoring Germany netted 62 goals in 28 matches at the World Cup, with their impressive exploits in front of goal culminating in glory in Brazil.
However, Die Nationalelf have only found the net eight times in their six games at the finals since. Although, the four goals they scored in their final group game against Costa Rica in 2022 ultimately proved academic.
Nevertheless, Germany do have four strikers with impressive strike rates at international level they can call upon.
Woltemade has scored four goals in eight caps, while AC Milan forward has netted 14 times in 24 senior international appearances.
Tim Kleindienst has four goals in six caps, and Deniz Undav three in six appearances. Therefore, Germany can have no qualms when it comes to finding somebody to stick the ball in the net.
