A dramatic end to Group F prompted England to draw in to face each of the four teams at one point, but when the dust settled it was a date with Germany remaining on the cards.
It was a scary proposal a few years ago, when Joachim Low’s men dominated the world, but Germany is a bit of a fun team today. Just look at the group stage, where they almost held France and completely ruined Portugal, but were a few minutes away from being knocked out of the competition by Hungary. Die Mannschaft is a tough team to turn heads on.
Let’s take a closer look at what we can expect from Germany against England.
Marauding wingbacks
Germany’s wingbacks are a problem / Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
No team can match up to Germany when it comes to wingbacks. On the left, the Atalanta sensation Robin Gosens has torn it up, with his move of a goal and two assists against Portugal enough to scare all defenders.
Above right you have Joshua Kimmich, the most versatile player on the planet. You see the Bayern man fly up and down the wing throughout the game, but more impressive than his energy is his talent on the ball. Kimmich can easily rip through any defense.
Metronomic midfield
Leon Goretzka’s 84th minute equalizer saved Germany’s tournament! ? pic.twitter.com/1xerKh0HQ1
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) 23 June 2021
Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan will play keep-ball throughout the match. Both players will search for possession and can propel their team forward, either with a creative pass or a run from the depths.
Leon Goretzka is back from his injury now and can add some real steel, as it looks like he is also eating for breakfast. The man is big.
Roaming forward
Muller’s intelligence is the key to Germany / Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
Germany does not usually play with a traditional striker and instead prefers to play three forwards who can roam across the pitch in search of space.
Kai Havertz has done well so far, as has Bayern Serge Gnabry, but the show’s real star is Thomas Muller. The 31-year-old is known in his home country (and on Football Manager) as The Raumdeuter – literally ‘The Space Investigator’.
Shaky defense
Germany’s defense fights against counterattacks / Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
This is not the dominant German backline we knew. When he plays with three midfielders, Low has many good alternatives at his disposal, but nothing that inspires complete self-confidence. Antonio Rudiger, Matthias Ginter and Mats Hummels have struggled in recent months, and a general lack of pace has not helped matters either.
However, it is not entirely the fault of the defense. With Kimmich playing on the right back, there is no defensive midfielder in the squad, so there is not much coverage for them. You can get this German back line if you play your cards right.
Limited creativity
Germany does not have many real creators / Markus Gilliar / Getty Images
Muller has amassed a stupid number of assists in recent years, but he is not a defensive passer. If you limit his space, he can be quite inefficient, and that applies to all of Germany’s forwards.
Against France’s low bloc, Germany found it extremely difficult to create anything. They could not run rings around their opponents, and they suffered.
Lack of firepower
Germany does not play with a striker / Christof Stache – Pool / Getty Images
Playing without an out-and-out striker is fun when it comes to movement, but it takes its toll when it comes to real firepower in front of the goal.
Havertz, Muller and Gnabry are all decent goal scorers, as are Leroy Sane and Jonas Hofmann, but they are not the scariest strikes. On the bench you will find a Timo Werner who lacks confidence and a Kevin Volland who does not see almost enough minutes for a man who scored 16 goals for Monaco last year.
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