This young talented Germany side burst on the scene in 2014 winning the World Cup in Brazil. Since then they have been the instigators for change in other national setups, offering further opportunities for young players. There is no doubt that they have an incredibly talented squad, but is it a team capable of taking the title? I shall be pondering whether they can indeed lift the famous trophy or if in fact they will struggle.
1. Easy
When Germany get in control of a game they make it look easy. They are a very strong passing side who, once in possession, are hard to stop. It takes an incredibly formidable opponent to knock them from their stride and lead them to playing a different style of football.
Whilst keeping to their default plan they create chances and score, seeking out defensive mistakes or any lack of concentration by players for which they look to exploit. This factor would suggest they could win the tournament because the strength in their squad means mistakes are few and far between.
2. Depth
As I previously mentioned, Germany have an incredibly strong line up, not only do they have a strong starting 11 but subs and reserves are also incredibly strong.
This allows for a great amount of rotation to meet the requirements of any opposition they face. It does however make the team selection incredibly difficult as so many players stand out, but, as any manager will tell you, this isn’t a bad thing. When you have 3 or 4 players who can all offer the same thing in most positions on the field you can easily rotate allowing for fresher legs and to work out exactly how you want play without the worry of a weak link
3. What may stop them
The 2014 World Cup winners could be stopped in exactly the same way that England were against Slovakia. Teams of this ilk purely turn up to defend and only counter attack to release pressure and hope they can grab a goal.
Poland did well to prevent Germany from scoring in their 0-0 draw, any one chance to come their way could’ve easily led to them taking all 3 points. Germany must be aware of this, luckily they boast one of the strongest defences in the tournament, so it will take a lot to beat them.
My opinion
There is no doubting that Germany are capable of winning. Part of me can see them dong it easily, however another part doesn’t want them too. A shock winner would be far better, a rising talent.
Either way, I can’t wait to see the drama unfold.
Source: From The Sideline