Germany vs. England | International Match Preview

England to visit Germany on Wednesday in a classic international friendly game. Both teams have been on a good run, as The Germans have been unbeaten in their last 6 matches, while The Three Lions haven’t been defeated since the fiasco against Iceland.

The biggest surprise in England’s squad is the return of the striker Jermaine Defoe. The 34-year-old Sunderland’s forward has scored 14 goals in The Premier League this season. Defoe’s last cap for The Three Lions was more than 3 years ago. However, in an interview, he has said that he has never given up of appearing in England’s colours again!

Jake Livermore has been called up for the first time since 2012! The midfielder has been in an incredible form since he joined West Bromwich Albion. Michail Antonio and Ward-Prowse are waiting for their first official match for England.

The biggest omission for Germany is going to be Manuel Neuer, who has been ruled out of the squad, because he has received a calf injury. Lukas Podolski, who announced his retirement from the international football after the European Championship last year, will record his final game for The Mannschaft.

This classic game will be a preparation for both teams’ matches from the qualifying campaign. Germany will visit Azerbaijan on 26th March, while The Three Lions will host Lithuania on the same day.

Head to Head:

These two teams have met on 30 occasions. The Germans have a little advantage, as they have recorded 14 victories, while there have been 3 draws and 13 wins for The Three Lions. The English national team won the last meeting between the two sides (3-2 in a friendly game in 2016). The Three Lions managed to turn thing around after being 2-0 down in the match in Berlin a year ago.

The Squads:

Germany:

Goalkeepers: Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Paris St-Germain). Defenders: Jonas Hector (Cologne), Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal), Sebastian Rudy (Hoffenheim), Antonio Rudiger (Roma), Niklas Sule (Hoffenheim). Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Emre Can (Liverpool), Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund) Forwards: Timo Werner (Leipzig), Andre Schurrle (Borussia Dortmund), Mario Gomez (Wolfsburg), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray).

England:

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Torino, on loan from Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley) Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Michael Keane (Burnley), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Michail Antonio (West Ham United), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Nathan Redmond (Southampton), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Sunderland), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).