Germany host Luxembourg in a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier on Friday evening as Julian Nagelsmann’s side looks to bounce back from their underwhelming start to the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Germany vs Luxembourg – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: 10th October, Friday.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: PreZero Arena, Sinsheim.
Germany Team News
Julian Nagelsmann faces issues heading into this fixture with several key players unavailable. Real Madrid centre-back Antonio Rüdiger is ruled out with a hamstring injury. He joins Kai Havertz (knee) and Jamal Musiala (ankle) on the sidelines.
Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann is a major doubt due to illness, which could see Alexander Nübel or uncapped Noah Atubolu start at his home stadium – the PreZero Arena. Nick Woltemade has recovered from illness and should be available, while Kevin Schade has been called up to replace the injured Jamie Leweling (groin).
The positive news for Nagelsmann is the return of Nico Schlotterbeck from a six-month absence due to a significant knee injury. The Borussia Dortmund defender is expected to stabilise Germany’s fragile defence, which has kept just seven clean sheets in their last 25 games.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown earns his first senior call-up, while Aleksandar Pavlović returns to the squad after missing recent fixtures.
Luxembourg Team News
Progrès Niederkorn’s Kenan Avdusinovic has earned his first call-up to the Luxembourg national team, a reward for his standout performances in the domestic league, according to comments from coach Jeff Strasser during his media session.
One notable omission from this squad is Mica Pinto, who continues his search for a new club and was ruled out due to a lack of fitness. Danel Sinani will be unavailable for the upcoming match against Germany as he serves a suspension, though he is expected to be eligible for selection against Slovakia. Additionally, Dany Mota has not received a call-up this time around.
In a boost for Luxembourg, Christopher Martins has been included in the squad after recovering from an injury that kept him sidelined for the September clashes with Northern Ireland and Slovakia. Strasser also confirmed that further talks had taken place regarding 16-year-old Brian Madjo, but the young player has opted to remain with England’s Under-17 national setup for now.
Form
Germany
Nagelsmann’s men have shown inconsistent form in recent months. After suffering a shock 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in their opening World Cup qualifier, Germany bounced back with a 3-1 home victory over Northern Ireland. However, their defensive fragilities remain a concern, having conceded 10 goals in their last five competitive matches.
The four-time world champions are under pressure to perform after managing just one win in their last five competitive fixtures. Their last clean sheet came during a patchy run that has seen constant tactical changes from Nagelsmann.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg’s form has been disappointing as they remain the only team in Group A without a point. They suffered a 3-1 defeat to Northern Ireland before losing 1-0 at home to Slovakia in September.
Despite their poor start, Jeff Strasser remains optimistic, stating: “We know that it is a tough group with Germany and Slovakia, but in the last games against Slovakia and Northern Ireland we showed that we are capable of achieving positive results”.
Predicted Lineups
Germany: Nubel; Anton, Tah, Koch; Schade, Kimmich, Goretzka, Raum; Gnabry, Wirtz; Woltemade.
Luxembourg: Moris; Jans, Mahmutovic, Korac, Carlson; Olesen, Barreiro; Moreira, Sinani, Bohnert; Dardari.
How to Watch Germany vs Luxembourg?
UK fans can watch the match on Amazon Prime PPV.
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