Germany vs Ukraine-Germany will play the first of their two pre-Euro 2024 friendlies on Monday evening, along with European Championship participants Ukraine at the Max-Morlock-Stadion.
The hosts open their tournament against Scotland on June 14, while Ukraine’s first game of the summer competition is against Romania on June 17.
Germany
The German national team has not played an official match since their disappointing performance at the 2022 World Cup. The reason is simple — Germany will participate in Euro 2024 as the host nation and therefore did not participate in the qualification cycle.
Young coach Julian Nagelsmann was tasked with preparing the team for the home European Championship. It is difficult to assess how well he is handling this task. Germany vs Ukraine-In any case, serious achievements are expected from the team, especially considering that the tournament will be held in Germany.
Ukraine
Led by Serhiy Rebrov, the Ukrainian team has shown good results and heads to Germany hoping to replicate their best European Championship performance (quarter finals in 2021).
Ukraine were placed in a tough qualifying group with Italy and England and finished third as expected. The team secured their place at Euro 2024 via the playoffs, defeating Bosnia and Iceland in succession.
Match preview
Germany vs Ukraine-As hosts, Germany will certainly be under pressure to perform at Euro 2024 and the national team will bid to improve on their showing at Euro 2020, Germany vs Ukraine-when they were knocked out in the round of 16.
Germany were runners-up in 2008 before reaching the semi-finals in both 2012 and 2016, with their last success at the tournament coming back in 1996.
The DFB-Pokal will play in Group A this summer alongside Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland, and it will be a huge blow if they can’t make it their way in the division.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side will enter the match on the back of back-to-back friendly wins over France and the Netherlands and haven’t actually played a competitive game since their 4-2 success against Costa Rica in the 2022 World Cup group stage.
Whether their recent lack of competitive action hurts them at Euro 2024 remains to be seen, but they will face two strong sides in Ukraine and Greece in their two pre-tournament friendlies.
There is going to be a mix of youth and experience for Germany this summer, and the tournament will prove to be Toni Kroos’ final bow before he retires from professional football.
Germany vs Ukraine-Ukraine secured their place at Euro 2024 after beating Iceland 2-1 in their play-off final in March, with the Blue and Yellows set to compete in a fourth consecutive European Championship.
The national team was knocked out in the group stages of the 2012 and 2016 tournaments, but they reached the quarter-finals at Euro 2020, their joint-best performance at a major competition, and also made it to the world’s last eight. Cup back in 2006.
Serhii Rebrov’s side will play three friendlies ahead of Euro 2024, facing Germany, Poland and Moldova before their tournament opener against Romania on June 17.
Germany vs Ukraine-that time, Slovakia and Belgium also feature in what is shaping up to be a very open Group E, and a positive result in their opener with Romania would put Ukraine in a strong position to advance to the knockout rounds in all football game.
The Blue and Yellows will actually bring a five-match unbeaten run into this match, recording four wins in the process, but they have never beaten Germany in international football, losing five and drawing four of their previous nine encounters with the European giants.
Team News
Germany will be without Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kroos and Niklas Fulkrug on Monday evening due to their involvement in the 2024 Champions League final, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen will also miss out, as he does not join the squad until Monday. Germany vs Ukraine.
However, head coach Nagelsmann is still expected to name a strong squad, with Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane and Kai Havertz expected to start for the hosts.
Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are also set to start, while a third German cap could be in store for left-back Maximilian Mittelstadt.
For Ukraine, Andriy Lunin will not be involved, as the 25-year-old was part of the Real Madrid side that won the Champions League final on Saturday night.
There will be no shortage of big names in the squad to start for the visitors with Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko and Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudrik.
Artem Dovbik and Viktor Sihankov have also just come off great seasons for Girona in La Liga, and the pair are expected to feature in the starting XI for Ukraine in the competition.
Germany vs Ukraine Lineup:
Germany probable starting lineup:
Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, coach, Mittelstadt; Gundogan, Andrich; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz
Ukraine probable starting lineup:
Bushchan; Konoplya, Zabarny, Matvienko, Mykolenko; Malinovsky, Zinchenko, Sudakov; Tsyhankov, Dovbyk, Mudryk
We say: Germany 2-1 Ukraine
Germany vs Ukraine-Ukraine will be a tough opponent for Germany, with the Blue and Yellow having plenty of quality all over the pitch. Germany are looking in good shape ahead of Euro 2024, though, and we expect them to secure a win on Monday night.