Germany will clash with France in their first ever UEFA Nations League match on Thursday night. The two sides will play in Munich at the Allianz Arena. Germany are in dire need of overcoming their atrocious World Cup campaign.
Joachim Low’s team was eliminated in the group stages after losses to Mexico and South Korea. Low has rung the changes since the team’s failure in Russia. Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is one player who is no longer a part of the national team. Low claims the former World Cup winner’s international career is finished.
France are on the other side of the coin going into their Nations League opener. Didier Deschamps team won the World Cup in thrilling fashion and boast the most talented player pool in the world currently. The Nations League comes fewer than two months after Les Bleus’ success in Moscow. Deschamps must now get the team prepared for another gruelling campaign that will culminate next June.
The Netherlands is the other team that makes up the three-team group with Germany and France. The Dutch missed out on the World Cup and will also have plenty to prove. The pressure will be on the Netherlands, but in a different way to the Germans. Low knows he must win matches in the Nations League. Although he is contracted until 2022, the team needs to win to keep him as undisputed leader of the national side.
Low is ready to make changes to his squad. He wants to add youth to an already experienced core of players. It is Low’s desire to bring new, rising stars into the national team to develop players at the international level.
Germany are expected to have a lineup featuring players who played at the World Cup. Timo Werner, a striker who has starred with RB Leipzig, is expected to play as the team’s No. 9. Low needs the striker to fire goals as Werner has proven he can score for his club, but not for the national team. The striker position has been a weakness under Low.
France should go into the game with a similar starting XI to the one which won the World Cup Final. Deschamps has fewer reasons to change his side after winning the tournament in July.
Despite France’s recent success and Germany’s failures, the home team will get the win on Thursday night in Munich. Playing behind a home crowd and needing to prove a point, Germany will win in their first UEFA Nations League fixture.