Germany's defence will be put to the test in their opening Euro 2016 group match against Ukraine in Lille on Sunday.
Germany's defence will be put to the test in their opening Euro 2016 group match against Ukraine in Lille on Sunday with major questions still to be answered about the world champions' new-look rearguard. Coach Joachim Loew's team will be without key central defender Mats Hummels, still recovering from a muscle injury, as they kick off their Group C campaign. Hummels' replacement Antonio Ruediger was ruled out with torn cruciate knee ligaments this week.
Germany Likely Starting XI: Neuer; Höwedes, Mustafi, Boateng, Hector; Kroos, Khedira; Müller, Özil, Draxler; Gomez.
Ukraine Likely Starting XI: Pyatov; Fedetskiy, Khacheridi, Rakitskiy, Shevchuk; Stepanenko, Sydorchuk, Garmash; Yarmolenko, Konoplyanka; Zozulya.
Holding midfielder and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, still working on his comeback from injury, is also absent, further complicating Loew's defensive conundrum. Benedikt Hoewedes and Jerome Boateng are the two likely central defenders but both had a long injury break late in the season and are in desperate need of match practice. Jonathan Tah, the 20-year-old who was only called up this week following Ruediger's injury, is expected to be on the bench.
Toni Kroos, who will shoulder the biggest responsibility of connecting Germany's defensive and attacking game, is brimming with confidence following his Champions League win with Real Madrid. Assistant coach Thomas Schneider sounded confident on Friday that the team would quickly find their cohesion at the back. "In the last few matches we thought a lot about our defensive operation and we came up with a few things, including for defensive set pieces," he said. "We have worked on that in training and everyone knows their job."
Ukraine, while outsiders, are certain to test the Germans' new-look defence with quick wingers Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka capable of inflicting severe damage. It will be up to Loew's full backs to neutralise that threat but they must also break down a steely Ukraine defence. The Germans, eyeing their fourth Euro triumph but first since 1996, have never lost an opening match at the European Championship and are aware a slip-up could prove costly.
"The first game is extremely important and it will determine our run in this tournament," attacking midfielder Julian Draxler said. Ukraine managed to keep six clean sheets in 10 qualifiers with coach Mykhailo Fomenko having taken over after the co-hosts' disappointing Euro 2012 campaign. They then came out on top against Slovenia in a playoff last year, with the 67-year-old having moulded them into an efficient unit
Manager Talk
Joachim Löw, Germany coach
Ukraine are very physical and have quick players on the wings, who are very dangerous when it comes to counterattacks. They can go full speed for 90 minutes. But if we do what we are capable of and are careful in possession, then we are capable of beating Ukraine.
Everything you need to know about Germany in 30 seconds
Until 2014, we basically always played in the same formation and with the same system. But in the past two years we have developed further. It's no problem any more for the team to start with a back three or with just two central defenders, and then to switch during a game. That's very important.
Mykhailo Fomenko, Ukraine coach
Every process is ongoing and every team is developing. Germany are no different, even if they are world champions. Their victory in Brazil is history. They'll be ambitious – they haven't won a European title for a long time, so they'll be eager to put that right in France.
We decide on the starting 11 on the day of the game. We're 90% sorted but we still have some time. It's always difficult to get off to a good start but at least there will be no surprises as Germany will play quality football no matter what. I agree with Anatoliy Tymoshchuk who compared the Germans to a machine. Everybody in our camp understands what a hard game this will be.
Prediction
Germany 2-0 Ukraine
With agency inputs
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