Spain and Germany will lock horns in Seville on Tuesday night with a spot in the semi-finals of the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League up for grabs.
Germany National Team
Germany are currently top of League A Group 4 with nine points, one point clear of second-placed Spain, meaning that La Roja will need to triumph in order to claim first spot in the section.
Spain would have been in charge of Group 4 heading into this match had they managed to overcome Switzerland in Basel on Saturday night. As it turned out, though, Luis Enrique’s side needed an 89th-minute leveller from Gerard Moreno to secure a point in a 1-1 draw.
Sergio Ramos, often so reliable from the penalty spot, incredibly missed two spot kicks against Vladimir Petkovic’s side, and Spain must now win on Tuesday night to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
La Roja are actually currently on a three-game winless run, having suffered a 1-0 defeat to Ukraine in the Nations League last month before drawing 1-1 with the Netherlands in a friendly on November 11.
It would be fair to say that Enrique is yet to truly settle on his best side, but there is still plenty of time for the former Barcelona boss to work on things ahead of next summer’s European Championships.
Germany National Team
France have already booked their spot in the Nations League Finals, and there is no question that Spain will want to join them as they attempt to secure their first trophy since Euro 2012
Germany, as mentioned, are currently in charge of the section, sitting one point clear of second-placed Spain at the summit, meaning that a draw on Tuesday would be enough to secure first position.
Joachim Low’s side have been far from perfect in the 2020-21 Nations League – winning just two of their five matches – but Saturday’s 3-1 home success over Ukraine has put them in a strong position.
Die Mannschaft actually fell 1-0 behind at the Red Bull Arena, but Leroy Sane levelled the scores before Timo Werner scored twice to secure an important three points for the home side.
Germany are unbeaten in all competitions since losing 4-2 to the Netherlands in a European Championship qualifier last September; they still managed to top Group C, though, and will therefore be present at Euro 2020 and indeed expected to challenge.
Spain National Team
The Nations League will not be viewed as a priority competition for the four-time World Cup winners, but they will still be determined to eliminate a fellow European powerhouse and advance to the final four.
Spain boss Enrique is expected to stick with the bulk of the side that started against Switzerland, although there could be a couple of changes in the final third of the field.
Gerard Moreno came off the bench to equalise on Saturday and could now earn a starting role, while Alvaro Morata is also in contention to feature in an attacking spot.
Koke and Sergio Canales are also in contention, but Marco Asensio was not even on the bench against Switzerland and is unlikely to come into the XI for this match.
Enrique is also likely to stick with Unai Simon between the sticks, with the Athletic Bilbao stopper currently the surprise choice in goal despite the presence of Manchester United’s David de Gea.
As for Germany, Toni Kroos is available after serving a suspension against Ukraine, and the 30-year-old should return to the midfield, potentially at the expense of Robin Koch.
Julian Brandt and Luca Waldschmidt both came off the bench on Saturday and will be hoping to earn starts, but Low is expected to keep alterations to a minimum.
Indeed, Werner and Sane should again join Serge Gnabry in the final third of the field, with Ilkay Gundogan and Leon Goretzka also retaining their spots in midfield alongside the returning Kroos.
Spain possible starting lineup:
Simon; Roberto, Ramos, Torres, Reguilon; Busquets, Merino, Ruiz; Oyarzabal, Morata, Moreno
Germany possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Ginter, Sule, Rudiger, Max; Gundogan, Kroos, Goretzka; Werner, Gnabry, Sane
The two teams played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse match back in September, and we are finding it difficult to choose a winner on this occasion. Germany only need a point to top the section, meaning that the onus is on Spain to take charge of the match. La Roja have not been convincing in recent games, though, and we are therefore predicting a low-scoring draw in Seville.
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