Germany, under Joachim Low, have impressed in every international tournament. Their best moment came in 2014 when they won the World Cup at Argentina’s expense in the dying minutes of the final. The side will be playing in the Confederations Cup in a few days’ time and will hope of entering next year’s World Cup with more confidence than ever.
However, Low has chosen players who don’t have much exposure on the international stage. He has gone for the fresh blood and will expect them to shine in their first senior tournament. With 23-year-old captain Julian Draxler leading Die Mannschaft, it will be exciting to see the promising youngsters and what they have to offer.
Here we have five reasons why Germany are favourites to win the Confederations Cup:
#5 Incredible squad depth
One of the best things about this German squad is that Low has reinforcements for all of his players. Every position in the team has alternatives, and they too are world-class.
Fierce shot-stoppers, mighty defenders, creative midfielders and aggressive attackers; they’ve got them all. Add to that, players like Joshua Kimmich and Emre Can who are extremely versatile and had good seasons with their respective clubs.
The only worrying issue remains the position of the left-back. Although Jonas Hector had a stunning season with FC Koln, the back up is Hertha BSC’s Marvin Plattenhardt. He made his international debut only two weeks ago.
#4 Young generation
Much like this season’s Ajax squad who impressed in Europe, the German squad is full of young and promising talents. The youngest player in the squad is Bayer Leverkusen’s Benjamin Henrichs (20) whereas their oldest player is Hoffenheim’s Sandro Wagner (29), who, funnily enough, made his debut only two weeks ago as well.
Also read: Germany sees Confederations Cup as test for young players
Jonas Hector and Julian Draxler are the only players who can be considered as senior players as the duo have made more than 20 appearances. Although they lack a lot in the aspect of the experience, the one aspect they don’t lack in is the freshness they bring to the roster.
#3 Most talented team in the competition
Low has been blessed with a squad which is extremely strong and flexible at the same time. Players such as Joshua Kimmich, Julian Brandt and Timo Werner are abundant in talent and can change the course of a match at any instant.
Just like the French national team, Die Mannschaft have been the sort of players who can produce moments of brilliance. Their search for a proper striker has also ended as they found the replacement for Miroslav Klose in Timo Werner. The 21-year-old has been deadly in front of goal, scoring 21 goals for RB Leipzig this past season.
The world champions might not have the strongest squad in the tournament, but they have the most talented one. That is for sure.
#2 Dominant style of play
The Germans, as their tradition follows, have always been the stronger ones and have been heavily dependent on their power. But, in recent years, they have given more preference to the ball and its possession.
Their change in style is said to be revolutionised by Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich. As Bayern's Thiago Alcantara said, he transformed German’s pragmatic play and turned it into a harmonious one which saw them become world champions.
With players excelling in all positions, Die Mannschaft can adapt to change in formations midway through a tournament.
#1 The genius that is Joachim Low
Joachim Low has had a spectacular managerial career, both with club and country. Before he took over from Jurgen Klinsmann, he managed clubs like Stuttgart and Tirol Innsbruck and tasted success there.
His career took a new turn in 2006 when he was offered the managerial position of the Nationalmannschaft. He has taken the national team to the knockout phase in all the international tournaments. He received many individual honours for his work with Germany. The only thing he lacked was a collective piece of silverware to show for his work.
But his starvation didn’t last for long as Nationalelf won the World Cup in Brazil in dramatic fashion. The brilliance of Low was displayed late into extra time when he made the super substitution of Mario Gotze who went on to score the winning goal and shatter Lionel Messi and La Albiceleste’s dreams of international glory.
He may not have the World Cup winning squad with him this time, but he will make sure that Germany will be strong challengers for winning the mini World Cup.
