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The German national team will face runner-up world champion France on Saturday. Which line-up will national coach Julian Nagelsmann choose?
Update from March 23rd, 7:47 p.m.: There is the German lineup! As expected, there are no big surprises for national coach Julian Nagelsmann. It is the predicted starting eleven against France – Maximilian Mittelstädt makes his DFB debut on the left side of defense.
Lineup of the German national team against France
Ter Stegen – Kimmich, Tah, Rüdiger, Mittelstädt – Kroos, Andrich, Gündogan, Wirtz, Musiala – Havertz
Update from March 23rd, 12:28 p.m.: Julian Nagelsmann is making no big secrets about his line-up before the friendly against France. The back four have already been decided: Joshua Kimmich will start at right-back, his counterpart on the left is DFB debutant Maximilian Mittelstädt.
In the defense center, the national coach relies on Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rüdiger. However, there was one position where Nagelsmann was not yet in the cards: it is unclear who will line up alongside Toni Kroos in the center of midfield. Pascal Groß and Robert Andrich have the best chances.
Expected lineup of the German national team against France
Ter Stegen – Kimmich, Tah, Rüdiger, Mittelstädt – Kroos, Andrich, Gündogan, Wirtz, Musiala – Havertz
Update from March 22nd, 4:52 p.m.: National coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed at the last press conference before the France game that both Kai Havertz and Maximilian Mittelstädt would be in the starting line-up. The Stuttgart player will make his debut in the German national team jersey. Nagelsmann trusts the full-back to secure a regular place for the European Championships.
First report: Frankfurt – The hot phase of preparation for the European Championship in their own country has begun for the DFB selection. National coach Julian Nagelsmann and his team will face France and the Netherlands in two test matches and want to create a European Championship atmosphere with strong performances against top-class opponents. First of all, the DFB team will be visiting the Équipe Tricolore. Has the starting eleven for the important test before the 2024 European Championship already been decided?
Germany line-up against France: National coach Nagelsmann gives information about the starting eleven
In the previous training sessions, Nagelsmann made no big secret about the starting eleven he has in mind for the France game. He had his players train in two groups, with the players in Group A presumably starting at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon.
In front of Marc-André ter Stegen, who will replace the injured Manuel Neuer in goal, Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger and debutant Maximilian Mittelstädt, who was guaranteed a starting eleven from Nagelsmann, will form the defensive back four. Returnee Toni Kroos is in midfield and will probably have Robert Andrich from Bayer Leverkusen next to him as a clearer and hard worker. Captain Ilkay Gündogan, Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz appear to be the sole leaders of the offensive quartet. Nagelsmann would therefore be without a classic centre-forward.
National coach Nagelsmann gives instructions to his team. © IMAGO/BEAUTIFUL SPORTS/Gawlik
Other possible starting eleven candidates such as Niclas Füllkrug, Thomas Müller and Pascal Groß belonged to training group B and are therefore initially in the role of challengers. Groß from the English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion still has the best chance of slipping into the starting line-up. He would then displace Andrich.
Füllkrug apparently only has the joker role in the DFB test against France
For Füllkrug, the role of Joker would not be a problem, as he said at the press conference. “I think my position is unchanged. There were always games that I played right from the start. But there were also one or two things where I was able to come off the bench. I think I was able to help the team in both positions. I also scored some of my goals from the bench,” said the BVB goalscorer.
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“At the European Championships you don’t need eleven players, but 23, all of whom accept their roles. The team is above everything,” explained Füllkrug, repeating exactly what national coach Nagelsmann recently preached again and again.