Germany have not had the best of preparations for the defence of the World Cup as they managed to win just once in their last six outings. The Germans returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia at the weekend in their last friendly match before the World Cup. It was Germany’s first win since they defeated Azerbaijan in early October.
Although Germany have not been in the best of forms, they have enough quality in their ranks to win the World Cup for the second consecutive time.
Here’s the strongest Germany line-up manager Joachim Loew could field in the World Cup.
Strongest Germany XI for the World Cup
Manager: Joachim Low
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Manuel Neuer (GK)
Manuel Neuer made his comeback from a nine-month injury break against Austria earlier in the month but was helpless to stop Germany from losing the game. Despite the defeat, the biggest positive was to see Neuer back and the goalkeeper looked fresh and confident.
Joshua Kimmich (RB)
Kimmich has made the right-back position his own due to his excellent attacking displays in the qualifiers.
Mats Hummels (CB)
A rock at the back, Hummels is a classy ball-playing centre-back. He can start an attack with his crisp passing and is a leader. Germany would heavily bank on him in the World Cup.
Jerome Boateng (CB)
Boateng is one of the finest defenders in Europe and along with Hummels has formed a formidable centre-back pairing at Bayern Munich as well as for Germany.
Jonas Hector (LB)
Reliable and industrious, Hector is Low’s first-choice at left-back. Hector may not be that agile or the quickest of defenders, but he makes it up with his reading of the game.
Toni Kroos (CM)
With his vision, composure and distribution, Kroos is the heartbeat of the national team. With his passing and crossing abilities, he can dictate the tempo of the game. He is a sure-shot starter for Germany in the World Cup.
Sami Khedira (CM)
Khedira is an industrious midfielder who can screen the defence as well as contribute to attacks for his team.
Thomas Muller (RW)
Muller was enduring a relatively quiet campaign before he sprung to life in the qualifiers, scoring five goals and assisting a further seven times. He is one of the weapons, Germany would rely heavily upon in the mega tournament in Russia.
Mesut Ozil (CAM)
The creative hub of the team, Ozil has been a consistent star performer for Die Mannschaft. He links up play excellently with his German teammates and is a constant threat for the opposition due to his vision and guile.
Julian Draxler (LW)
With blistering pace on offer and ability to run fearlessly at defenders, Draxler is expected to come good in Russia. The winger’s explosive pace is his biggest strength, while he is also capable of producing magic moments.
Timo Werner (ST)
Werner has been outstanding for RB Leipzig in the last couple of years which has seen him earn a ticket for the World Cup. Quick, direct and prolific, Werner will lead Germany’s attack in Russia.
