Bundesliga News

WC Qualification Europe
FT
3 - 0
(2 - 0)
Germany
Iceland
L. Goretzka (3), K. Havertz (7), İ. Gündoğan (56)
Predicted lineups

How Germany could line up against Iceland

By Rune Gjerulff   @runegjerulff

We take a look at the team Germany coach Joachim Löw could field for Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Iceland.
Article image
Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0
Germany kick off their World Cup qualification campaign on Thursday, taking on Iceland at MSV-Arena in Duisburg.


Robin Gosens and Niklas Süle are both sidelined due to minor injuries. Meanwhile, Germany coach Joachim Löw will have to find a way to replace Toni Kroos, who has been forced to withdraw from the squad due to a persistent adductor issue.

"Toni Kroos is a player who always wants to play. He was somewhat conflicted himself but the medical department said that it wasn't possible for him to play," Löw told reporters at the pre-match press conference.

"But we are well stocked in midfield on the whole. Leon Goretzka is quality, Ilkay Gündogan is in great form and Joshua Kimmich good as ever. Personally I rate Florian Neuhaus and how he acts in training as a young player."

Löw has switched between different formations since Germany's catastrophic World Cup tournament in 2018, and it will be interesting to see if he chooses to line up with three or four at the back for this match-up.

The most likely scenario is arguably a 4-3-3 formation with Gündogan, Kimmich and Goretzka playing in midfield. Alternatively, Löw could move Kimmich to the right-back position and let Florian Neuhaus come into midfield, pushing Lukas Klostermann to the bench.


Update: Following reports that Marcel Halstenberg will miss the game, he has been replaced by Philipp Max in our predicted line-up.

This is the starting eleven we expect to see from Löw and Germany:

Manuel Neuer

Lukas Klostermann
Matthias Ginter
Antonio Rüdiger
Philipp Max

Ilkay Gündogan
Joshua Kimmich
Leon Goretzka

Leroy Sané
Serge Gnabry
Timo Werner



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