EURO 2020 inside track: Germany

Group F fixtures

15/06: France vs Germany (Munich)
19/06: Portugal vs Germany (Munich)
23/06: Germany vs Hungary (Munich)

Team profile

Coach: Joachim Löw
Captain: Manuel Neuer
Nickname: Die Mannschaft (The Team)
How they qualified: Group C winners (W7 D0 L1 F30 A7)
EURO best: winners (1972, 1980, 1996)

Where they could play their knockout games

Round of 16: Bucharest, London, Seville or Budapest
Quarter-final: Saint Petersburg, Munich, Rome or Baku
Semi-final: London
Final: London

Final 26-man squad

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern), Bernd Leno (Arsenal), Kevin Trapp (Frankfurt)

Defenders: Matthias Ginter (Mönchengladbach), Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea), Robin Gosens (Atalanta), Christian Günter (Freiburg), Marcel Halstenberg (Leipzig), Mats Hummels (Dortmund), Lukas Klostermann (Leipzig), Robin Koch (Leeds), Niklas Süle (Bayern)

Midfielders: İlkay Gündoğan (Man. City), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Emre Can (Dortmund), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern), Thomas Müller (Bayern), Jamal Musiala (Bayern), Serge Gnabry (Bayern), Leon Goretzka (Bayern), Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Jonas Hofmann (Mönchengladbach), Leroy Sané (Bayern), Florian Neuhaus (Mönchengladbach)

Forwards: Timo Werner (Chelsea), Kevin Volland (Monaco)

UEFA.com Germany team reporter: Philip Röber

Previous EURO assignments have left me with memorable experiences, such as the thrilling clash between Germany and the Netherlands in extreme heat in Kharkiv in 2012 or the lengthy (and awe-inspiring!) train journeys through the beautiful French countryside in 2016. This time, the tournament begins with three matches on my doorstep in Munich. The prospect of seeing Germany come up against the current world champions followed by an encounter with the EURO title holders is a great privilege.

How they play

A massively disappointing 2018 FIFA World Cup had Joachim Löw contemplating significant changes. Systems using five at the back or a fluid front line with interchanging forwards never fully convinced, although the experiments often took place without key personnel. Following a 6-0 defeat by Spain and a stunning loss to North Macedonia, Löw has turned to Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller to give the team some structure. Expect an attack-minded side with tactical flexibility at the back.

Thomas Müller: back in Germany coloursGetty Images

Key player: Thomas Müller

Two and a half years after being cut from the squad to make room for a rebuild, Müller has been recalled for the finals after another season of strong performances for Bayern (21 assists!). A vocal leader on and off the pitch, the 31-year-old never fails to transmit his winning mentality to his team-mates.

Coach: Joachim Löw

After 15 years at the helm, this will be the final tournament for a coach who has never failed to lead Germany to at least the semi-finals of a EURO. Löw has not commented on his post-summer plans, instead stressing how he is investing all of his energy into creating euphoria among Germany fans throughout EURO 2020.

One to watch: Kevin Volland

A year ago, this section could have belonged to Kai Havertz, but after scoring the winner in the UEFA Champions League final he should be on everyone's horizon. Instead, the surprise package could be Volland, an energetic attacking player who comes in with an ambitious attitude and a fine record of 18 goals in 40 matches in his first season for Monaco.

Can they win it?

You'd expect that anyone who survives Group F has a decent chance of making the final. For Germany it will be a case of sink or swim having failed to live up to their high expectations in many recent games. However, the three-time winners are a tournament team, thriving when the pressure is on, and the squad has real depth.