The world champions are littered with so much talent it’s almost unfair. They’ve got world-class quality at seemingly every position, but particularly at goalkeeper – Manuel Neuer is the best in the world – and in midfield (Mesut Ozil, Marco Reus, Toni Kroos, Julian Draxler, Lukas Podolski, etc.).
All those awesome midfielders get the Germans ticking like a machine on offense. They don’t give the ball away, and suffocate opponents into submission through their relentless possession game. And up front, Thomas Muller just knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. He had nine goals in qualifying, and is the +700 favorite to win the Golden Boot.
With a squad overflowing with talent, Die Mannschaft are +330 to reclaim the European Championship.
Team Weaknesses:
The champs aren’t perfect, though. Both fullback positions have been riddled with uncertainty since captain Philipp Lahm’s post-World Cup international retirement, and manager Joachim Low may have to rely on inexperienced players like Shkodran Mustafi and Jonas Hector to play significant roles.
The Germans also have some less-than-stellar striking options on the bench. Mario Gomez isn’t an ideal fit for Low’s possession game, while Kevin Volland and Max Kruse are untested goalscorers at international level.
But even with those shortcomings, it’ll still be a major surprise if the Germans don’t top Group C, which they are big -275 favorites to do.
Team Stats (During Euro Qualifiers):
Category
Stat
Goals Scored Per Game
2.4
Goals Conceded Per Game
0.9
Goal Attempts Per Game
23.1
Pass Completion Percentage
92%
Ball Possession Percentage
67%
Starting Lineup:
Position
Name (Age)
Career Caps
Goals
Goalie
Manuel Neuer (30)
64
0
Defender
Shkodran Mustafi (24)
10
0
Defender
Mats Hummels (27)
46
4
Defender
Jerome Boateng (27)
57
0
Defender
Jonas Hector (25)
12
1
Midfielder
Tony Kroos (26)
64
11
Midfielder
Sami Khedira (29)
58
5
Midfielder
Marco Reus (26)
29
9
Midfielder
Mesut Ozil (27)
72
19
Midfielder
Lukas Podolski (30)
127
48
Forward
Thomas Muller (26)
70
31
Writer’s Prediction
Germany can’t conquer Europe once again as the world champs fall in the semis.
