Euro 2016 preview: Germany looking to end 20-year drought
In hopes of winning its first continental crown in two decades, Germany enters Euro 2016 with as many questions as certainties.
Can it repeat the success of the 2014 World Cup? Is Mario Gomez good enough at this point of his career to lead the line for a nation with trophy-winning ambitions? Will an erratic string of recent results carry over to the Euros?
International mainstays Philipp Lahm and Per Mertesacker have both hung up their Germany kits for good, while an ailing Bastian Schweinsteiger is unlikely to play a part in manager Joachim Low's plans. Those absentees have afforded the rise of youngsters such as Julian Weigl, Joshua Kimmich, and Leroy Sane.
Related: Marco Reus omitted from Germany's squad for Euro 2016
While not the same side that won the World Cup in Rio, Die Mannschaft is spoiled by a slew of top-flight stars poised to break through on international football's second-biggest stage.
Group Schedule
| Date | Match | City | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 12 | Germany vs. Ukraine | Lille | Stade Pierre Mauroy | 3:00 PM |
| June 16 | Germany vs. Poland | Saint-Denis | Stade de France | 3:00 PM |
| June 21 | N. Ireland vs. Germany | Paris | Parc des Princes | 12:00 PM |
Projected Starting XI
A starting XI void of surprises.
Besiktas striker Gomez seems poised to start up top and is likely to team with Thomas Muller to score the majority of Germany's goals. Mario Gotze will be desperate to replicate his form in netting the World Cup winner in hopes to nullify a dismal club campaign with Bayern Munich.
Low employs an adventurous, liquid brand of football that demands creativity in the final third. A squad rife with depth complements such tactics, which Low conceded ahead of the opener against Ukraine.
"We need two teams for this tournament,” Low offered in May. “A team up until the Round of 16, and then a second team."
Key Player: Thomas Muller
As with Bayern, Muller has a penchant for being in the right place at the right time for Germany. After scoring nine times in qualifying, the 26-year-old is certain to play a vital role, especially if Gomez goes down, with only Lukas Podolski available to spell the angular Turkish Super Lig standout.
Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil and Bayern centre-half Jerome Boateng will also play massive roles.
Breakout Star: Julian Weigl
Ilkay Gundogan's injury means Low will likely opt to start Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira alongside Toni Kroos - though if the gaffer is feeling adventurous, he'd be wise to offer Dortmund's 20-year-old purveyor of poise and perfectly weighted passes a shot.
Weigl impressed for Thomas Tuchel's side this season in a deep-lying midfield role typically dominated by players five years his senior.
Tournament Expectations
Repeating the successes of Brazil by winning its first European Championship since 1996. Nothing less will do for Low and co.