England vs Germany Round of 16 Preview

The standout tie in the round of 16 for Euro 2020 sees England take on their old-rivals Germany at Wembley. The two nations have played in some of the most iconic matches over the years and are set to lock horns again to add another chapter to their epic rivalry.

Tactical preview

Despite some mixed results and pressure from the media, Germany and Joachim Low will continue to use the 3-4-3 system with Joshua Kimmich and Robin Gosens operating as wing-backs. This system can leave Germany exposed in the middle of the park with both Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos lacking the athleticism and legs to cover the defence. However, it can also be incredibly potent going forward as seen in Germany’s 4-2 thrashing over Portugal in their second group game where both wing-backs – Gosens and Kimmich – found themselves in acres of space and caused Portugal all sorts of problems down the flanks.

England, on the other hand, are more flexible in terms of their shape and Gareth Southgate might copy Germany and employ a 3-4-3 as well, just like he did with the Three Lions for the majority of their fixtures in 2020. England have played with a 4-2-3-1 for all of the group games but Southgate has intimated that they might switch to a back five against tougher opposition to offer some more solidity defensively.

Players to watch out for

Kai Havertz has emerged as Germany’s star man so far in the tournament, scoring two goals in the group stages. The Chelsea forward has been particularly dangerous when he drops deep to link up play and collect the ball between the lines and the Three Lions will have to be wary about his movement.

For England, Jack Grealish made the difference in his first start in a major tournament against the Czech Republic and provided the assist for the only goal of the game. Grealish’s creativity, ability to run at the backline and attract defenders could be crucial for the hosts to break down the German defence.

Team News

England

The major question mark for England is over the fitness and availability of Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell after their 10-day quarantine due to Covid restrictions. If Mount and Chilwell are unavailable, Jack Grealish is expected to start for England with Luke Shaw at left-back. The other pertinent selection dilemma for Gareth Southgate is whether to bring back Phil Foden to the starting XI or persist with Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka following his excellent performance against the Czech Republic.

Probable XI: Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Harry Kane

Germany

Germany are expected to continue with the same line-up that they have used in the group stages with the only selection dilemma involving the fitness of Thomas Muller after his recent knee injury.

Probable XI: Manuel Neuer, Matthias Ginter, Mats Hummels, Antonio Rudiger, Joshua Kimmich, Robin Gosens, Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Kai Havertz