As we are only four months away from the FIFA World Cup 2022, the vibe of the tournament is all around us. We have 32 teams, 8 groups, and everything ready for the greatest sporting event on the planet. The host nation Qatar is gearing up to kick off the tournament on 21st November, which will wrap up with the Final on 18th December. As we are getting ready, the Football pundits are picking their teams and favourites for the World Cup 2022.
The German football legend Lothar Matthaus, who captained West Germany to win the 1990 World Cup, picked his Germany XI for the World Cup 2022. Let’s take a look at how Germany could line up to pursue their fifth World Cup title.
Lothar Matthaus picks Germany XI in a 4-3-3 formation:
- Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) – GK
- David Raum (Hoffenheim) – LB
- Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund) -CB
- Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid) – CB
- Thilo Kehrer (PSG) – RB
- Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) – CM
- Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich) – CM
- Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) – AM
- Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich) – LW
- Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich) – RW
- Kai Havertz (Chelsea) – ST
Lothar Matthaus is absolutely spot on to pick his XI for the World Cup. These players should be selected by Hansi Flick for his World Cup roster to visit Qatar. However, we may see a couple of changes in different positions based on the performances in the upcoming European seasons.
Manuel Neuer could be the first choice between the posts for Germany and Ter Stegen as the back-up. The absence of Matt Hummels (Borussia Dortmund) in the defense may raise eye-brows. But in terms of recent forms, Niklas Sule and Antonio Rudiger have been the best.
The only surprise selection of Lothar Matthaus is Thilo Kehrer at right-back position. The PSG defender is not a regular starter and has not been up to the mark. We may see some tweaking in that position. Hansi Flick could play Josuha Kimmich in the right-back and insert Jamal Musiala in the midfield. Another option could be Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) at the CB and Sule moved to right-back.
David Raum at left-back should compete with Robin Gosens of Inter for the position. Jonas Hofmann, Matthias Ginter, and Lucas Klostermann should also make the World Cup squad.
Serge Gnabry is absolutely spot on for the right-wing position. As for the striker, we may see a competition between Chelsea duo Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. As of today, Kai Havertz is preferred by Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel over Werner. Timo Werner’s selection for the World Cup roster would depend on his performance in the upcoming EPL season.
The 2014 World Cup Champions Germany crashed out of the tournament four years ago in Russia. They finished at the bottom of the Group following defeats against Mexico and Korea Republic.
There has been a lot of improvement since then. Lothar Matthaus praises Hansi Flick for transforming an inconsistent side into one of the title contenders.
Germany defeated Italy in the Nations League by 5-2 goals in June this year. It would be a hint of what is to come in the World Cup in November. To know how to watch World Cup 2022 from your country, check out the FIFA World Cup Live Streaming guide.
