Our Euro 2024 Fantasy team previews continue with a look at Germany.
The tournament hosts have underachieved in recent times, but will be hoping to make home comforts count under Julian Nagelsmann, who took over from the sacked Hansi Flick last autumn.
In these country-by-country guides, we’ll be looking at the best players from each nation, taking a stab at predicted line-ups, reviewing the road to Germany and more.
To do this, we’ll be calling on the help of correspondents from each nation.
Here, Fantasy Football Scout users Christian Larisch (aka Alchim1st), Paul Schmitz (aka Paulsc) and Rony Mukherjee (aka Rony1993) help us profile Die Mannschaft.
All prices given are from the official Fantasy Euro 2024 game.
THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION
| Date | Competition | Opposition | Result | Score | Goalscorers | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 October | Friendly | United States (a) | W | 3-1 | Gundogan, Fullkrug, Musiala | Gosens, Fullkrug |
| 17 October | Friendly | Mexico (a) | D | 2-2 | Rudiger, Fullkrug | Gosens |
| 18 November | Friendly | Turkey (h) | L | 2-3 | Havertz, Fullkrug | Sane, Wirtz |
| 21 November | Friendly | Austria (a) | L | 0-2 | ||
| 23 March | Friendly | France (a) | W | 2-0 | Wirtz, Havertz | Kroos, Musiala |
| 26 March | Friendly | Netherlands (h) | W | 2-1 | Mittelstadt, Fullkrug | Musiala, Kroos |
Hosts Germany automatically qualified for Euro 2024.
They will be led into the tournament by Julian Nagelsmann, who replaced Hansi Flick in the dugout after a 4-1 friendly defeat to Japan last year.
Ex-striker Rudi Voller was in interim charge for the 2-1 victory over France in September, but Nagelsmann has overseen six matches since.
He has three wins, one draw and two losses, all of them friendlies.
A draw against Mexico and defeats to Turkey and Austria caused alarm, but statement wins over France and Netherlands in March have significantly improved the mood.
They have also helped Nagelsmann settle on something close to a starting XI.
GERMANY IN NUMBERS UNDER NAGELSMANN
- Most starts: Antonio Rudiger, Jonathan Tah, Ilkay Gundogan (6), Florian Wirtz (5)
- Most goals: Niclas Fullkrug (4), Kai Havertz (2)
- Most assists: Robin Gosens, Toni Kroos, Jamal Musiala (2)
- Clean sheets: 1 from 6
MOST RECENT INTERNATIONAL LINE-UPS
23/03/2024 – France (a)
(4-2-3-1): ter Stegen; Kimmich, Rudiger, Tah, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Kroos (Anton 90); Musiala (Fullkrug 80), Gundogan (Muller 72), Wirtz (Fuhrich 72); Havertz (Undav 80)
26/03/2024 – Netherlands (h)
(4-2-3-1): ter Stegen; Kimmich (Henrichs 79), Rudiger, Tah, Mittelstadt (Raum 79); Andrich (Gross 59), Kroos; Musiala, Gundogan (Fuhrich 59), Wirtz (Muller 73); Havertz (Fullkrug 73)
UPCOMING FIXTURES
| Date | Competition | Opposition |
|---|---|---|
| 3 June | Friendly | Ukraine (h) |
| 7 June | Friendly | Greece (h) |
GROUP FIXTURES
- 14 June: Scotland
- 19 June: Hungary
- 23 June: Switzerland
HOW FAR WILL THEY GET?
“After years of decline, Julian Nagelsmann has rejuvenated the German squad and brought enthusiasm back to national games. Nagelsmann has re-established the performance principles at the centre of the national team and the squads are now being nominated accordingly, as can be seen from the non-nomination of Timo Werner, for example. The team has a good balance of young and experienced players with a well-rounded squad. It remains to be seen whether it will be enough to reach the top, but the games so far this spring give reason to hope for good things – especially after the return of Toni Kroos, who acts directly as a leader and structures the German game. I think we can reach the semi-finals.” – Christian
“There’s a mixed sense of optimism (tournament at home, new era of talents coming into the team) and pessimism (basically all the results in the past years). The semi-finals are a realistic goal and something us Germans would be happy about.” – Paul
“Germany have a decent group compared to some other nations. Hungary, Switzerland and Scotland are all challenging opponents but Germany should get 6-7 points in the three matches. Germany face an off-form Scotland, a patchy and inconsistent Switzerland team but a talented attacking Hungary side. They should finish top and if they do so, will meet the runner-up of Group C, which probably will be Denmark. That match should favour the Germans in their own country. If they finish second, they could meet the runner-up of Group B, who could be any one of Italy, Spain and Croatia. A much tougher fixture then. I predict them to top the group, however, and will likely go to at least the quarter-finals, after which anything can happen.” – Rony
STRENGTHS
“With Musiala and Wirtz, the German team has two exceptional attacking players who can decide the game on their own. This would actually also apply to Leroy Sane, but it is unclear whether he will be fit in time for the tournament. From a Fantasy perspective, Sane should be avoided for the time being. Together with the powerful striker Fullkrug and the flexible Havertz, the German team has a potent offence that already showed promising signs in the friendly matches against France and the Netherlands.” – Christian
“Possession play – especially thanks to the return of Toni Kroos and technically gifted players everywhere on the pitch, like Kimmich, Wirtz, Havertz and Gundogan.
“Playing narrow – this is more of a tactical setup than an actual strength but our coach has made it clear we want to use Wirtz and Musiala in the half-spaces with only our full-backs (Mittelstadt and Kimmich) holding the width. This allows quick passing sequences as well as bringing our most dangerous players into the most dangerous positions. However, it also makes us prone to counters with a rest defence of two players (plus Andrich occasionally).
“I will be a bit more reserved here because Nagelsmann’s approach and player selection is significantly different from Flick’s. Individual quality and talent (Wirtz, Musiala, Sane, Kroos, Kimmich, Neuer) are obvious to see, the question is whether we will finally function as a team.” – Paul
“The optimism is much higher after the German clubs’ showings in the European competitions this season. Dortmund who are fifth will play the UCL final. It shows the quality of the league is improving. The return of midfield maestro Toni Kroos for one last hurrah at the Euros will galvanise the team to perform better. The form of Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz this season will also help Germany. Meanwhile, what Germany has been lacking since Khedira’s retirement is a rugged midfielder. Enter Robert Andrich after his brilliant season. He will allow Kroos and Gundogan to pull the strings to feed the attackers up top. Last but not least, the home factor and the German crowd. That is huge, you may have noticed German teams do much better in the home ties in the UCL.” – Rony
WEAKNESSES
“Even though Neuer, one of the best keepers of all time, is in the German squad, I would name the defence as the team’s weakness. Neuer, who generally played a strong second half of the season after his comeback, had a few unusual slip-ups in his game against Real Madrid in the Champions League, amongst others, but should be his usual reliable self at the tournament. The back four is a little more tricky. It has rarely played together in the intended constellation and Antonio Rudiger has rarely been able to match his outstanding club performances in the national team jersey. With Jonathan Tah, there is now a new regular centre-back alongside him, who is having an excellent season with Bayer Leverkusen. It remains to be seen to what extent the partnership will be able to settle in before the European Championships. At least the balance now seems to have been found on the double six, which will probably be occupied by Kroos and Andrich. It is precisely this balance that has been missing from the German team in recent years. This is also due to the fact that Kimmich, the long-serving six, has been shifted to the right-back position, where he has played a good role so far – just as he has at Bayern Munich.” – Christian
“Defending – Nagelsmann himself stated that Germany are no ‘defending monsters’, which is why the total amount of defensive actions needs to be reduced. We almost always seem to concede, no matter who we play.
“Final-third – this has been an issue for years but is subject to change with the introduction of the Wirtz-Musiala-Havertz triangle into the squad. It always seemed as if we are stuck in an infinite loop of controlling the ball but being unable to find the final pass, then conceding on a counter attack.” – Paul
“The form and confidence of the Bayern players like Kimmich, Sane, Musiala and Neuer. Although it could spur them on to play better. Also, Germany is no longer known as a defensive powerhouse as it was in the past. Tah, Mittelstadt/Raum, Kimmich are all decent defenders, but they are not world class. That can only be said about Antonio Rudiger.” – Rony
BEST EURO 2024 FANTASY PLAYERS: GERMANY
“In defence, you should take a look at Maximilian Mittelstadt (€4m). He’s an absolute bargain and should currently have the best chances in the left-back position. He has an offensive drive and is a strong crosser. Jonathan Tah (€4.5m) could also be an interesting option as a strong-headed centre-back. Clean sheets seem far more likely in the group stage than in the knockout phase. Here you should keep an eye on the last friendly matches.
In the offence, Jamal Musiala (€8.5m), Florian Wirtz (€7.5m) and Robert Andrich (€5m) should be mentioned. Although the latter primarily contributes to the stability of the team, he was also able to generate some offensive output over the course of the season with 11 attacking returns in 43 games for Leverkusen. He could particularly benefit from the opportunity to win points through ball recoveries. With Wirtz and Musiala, you get the German hopefuls for a manageable price. It remains to be seen to what extent they will score the decisive goals themselves or rather create for other players and create space. One player who could benefit from this would be Niclas Fullkrug (€7m), who has a good chance of starting the tournament as the German centre-forward. The final friendly matches will also tell us whether he or Kai Havertz (€7.5m) are the centre-forward option that Nagelsmann would like to use.” – Christian
“1) Maximilian Mittelstadt (€4m): Will be the starting left-back, attacking potential, underpriced, best fixtures out of any team. I’m not sure why anyone would go without him.
“2) Florian Wirtz (€7.5m): Key player for us, not too expensive. Will operate through the half-spaces which makes him a dangerous asset.
“3) Leroy Sane (€7m): The question is whether he will start or not. Most of us want to see him play over Ilkay Gundogan (€7m), despite Gundo being the captain. Should he start (we will see before the deadline) he is a fantastic asset with higher expected Fantasy output compared to Jamal Musiala (€8.5m) and Wirtz.
“Gundogan (if starting, note that he doesn’t play as a classic no 10 but drops a little deeper in possession) and Musiala are also worth considering because of their fixtures. I would stay away from Kai Havertz (€7.5m) because he is likely to get subbed quite early.” – Paul
“1) Florian Wirtz (€7.5m): Bundesliga player of the year, in brilliant form. Takes corners. His confidence is through the roof at the moment. Will probably play LW although prefers playing as a CAM. I prefer him to Jamal Musiala (€8.5m), as Wirtz is €1m cheaper.
“2) Kai Havertz: Arsenal’s player of the second half of the season. We all know what form does to strikers (looking at you Mateta!). Finally living up to his potential after leaving Leverkusen. A mid-range enabling forward to get Kane/Mbappe and a big hitting midfielder/big at the back. Only drawback – may get hooked for Niclas Fullkrug (€7m) early in some matches.
“3) Maximilian Mittelstadt: Budget gem unlocked, that too for a big European nation. He should start over David Raum (€5m) and if he does he will be a cheat code for Fantasy managers. Six goal contributions in the league for Stuttgart and one goal in two games for Germany. Plays high up the pitch like most modern full-backs. He is a no brainer in my opinion, if he starts.
“Notable mentions – Toni Kroos (€6.5m) for set-pieces, ball recoveries and MOTM award points, plus Ilkay Gundogan (€7m). He will play higher up the field, has penalties and will get decent ball recoveries” – Rony
FAN’S PREDICTED LINE-UP
(4-2-3-1) Neuer; Kimmich, Rudiger, Tah, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Kroos; Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz; Havertz
STAY TUNED FOR MORE EURO 2024 COVERAGE!
A reminder that we’ll be covering the European Championship in great detail this summer.
Part of that coverage will be the usual team-by-team guides on all competing 24 nations in Euro 2024.
But we’ll also have team reveals, strategy guides and much more. The official UEFA Fantasy game will be the main game we’re covering, which you read about below:
There’ll also be £500+ worth of prizes if you join our mini-league! Click the below to sign up:
If you want to be part of our coverage and are a fan of one of the countries competing, do get involved via the below:
