Germany (National Football)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hit out at the critics of Mesut Ozil and Ilkay Gundogan, telling reporters the flak they have taken after posing for a photo with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is hypocritical. 

Speaking to Sport 1 (h/t Goal's Iain Strachan), the tactician took aim at those who dismissed Ozil's concerns following the incident. In the playmaker's retirement from the Germany national team, he cited discrimination against him due to his Turkish heritage. Klopp did not doubt Ozil and Gundogan's love for their country, however:

"This is a classic example of absolute misinformation and, of course, complete nonsense.

"In politics, little things have always been blown up and big things pushed away in order to continue.

"Normally, intelligent people tend to hold back because it is not easy to say the right thing. I would count myself [among those people] too. All those who have no idea are very loud in these conversations.

"I do not doubt these guys, at least about their loyalty to our homeland. The difference is that they just have one more thing [in their heritage]. Where is the problem? That's beautiful. 

"Cultural diversity, we all thought it was really cool around the 2006 World Cup. I saw these fantastic commercials where the parents of Gerald Asamoah and Mario Gomez had a barbecue party together. 

"And now two guys are seduced by politically quite intelligent people to have a photo, and then have relatively few opportunities to say what they want 100 per cent right. 

"That's why I find this discussion hypocritical. Bad things happened because people were not informed properly. Even the media should not create a buzz around something like this every day. Just cool off and see the people behind it."

The controversy started before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, when Ozil and Gundogan―Germany internationals with Turkish roots―posed with Erdogan. The photo caused some minor outrage, with some calling for the two to be dropped from Die Mannschaft:

AfD: Germany's Ozil, Gundogan should be dropped from World Cup squad over Erdogan photo https://t.co/alX6vorrCZ pic.twitter.com/9aogDx8oot

— Reuters (@Reuters) June 19, 2018

Things kicked into gear after the disastrous World Cup, however. The defending champions were eliminated during the group stages, and Ozil was seen as one of the main culprits due to his lacklustre play. 

The Arsenal man then retired from international football, saying he couldn't play for Germany as long as the current leaders of the football association remained in charge:

III / III pic.twitter.com/c8aTzYOhWU

— Mesut Özil (@M10) July 22, 2018

The criticism of the DFB and accusations of racism resulted in a strong response, with many pointing back at the photo. Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness was one of his fiercest critics, and his fury hasn't waned, as he launched his latest attack on the former Real Madrid man earlier this week, per Sky Sports News in Germany (h/t the Evening Standard's Alex Young). 

Hoeness claimed manager Joachim Low would not have taken Ozil to Russia if he had scouted him a little more closely, as he would have noticed the player isn't as good as his image makes him out to be. Low continued to back Ozil, but after the tournament, he admitted the 29-year-old was among those who didn't live up to the expectations, per Metro.

Germany dropped their opening match against Mexico, before securing a last-minute win over Sweden that kept their hopes of advancing alive. Another shock loss followed against South Korea in their final match, leaving Die Mannschaft in last place in Group F.

It was the first time since 1938 that a unified German team failed to make it out of the opening round of the World Cup.

Outside of Germany, Ozil was mostly praised for his words and actions, and many were quick to point out Romelu Lukaku touched on a similar issue in his piece for the Players' Tribune, per Brandon Wiggins of Business Insider.

The Belgian wrote: "When things were going well, I was reading newspapers articles and they were calling me Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker. When things weren’t going well, they were calling me Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker of Congolese descent."

But within Germany, comparatively few have expressed sympathy for Ozil, and even former international team-mate Toni Kroos dismissed his accusations, calling them "nonsense" in an interview with Bild (h/t Reuters, via the Guardian).

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has called Mesut Ozil's allegations of racism within the German Football Association "nonsense" after his compatriot quit the national team in controversial circumstances in July.

Arsenal star Ozil cited "racism and disrespect" as the main factors behind his decision to retire from international duty after the disastrous 2018 FIFA World Cup, where defending champions Germany exited at the group stage. However, Kroos dismissed Ozil's allegations in an interview with Bild (h/t BBC Sport): 

"Mesut is a deserved international and as a player he deserved a better departure.

"But the way he resigned was not in order.

"The parts in his statement that are rightly addressed are unfortunately overshadowed by the significantly higher amount of nonsense.

"I think he knows very well that racism within the national team and the DFB [German football's governing body] does not exist."

Ozil—who is of Turkish descent—was widely criticized after a photo emerged in May of him alongside controversial Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan and Everton's Cenk Tosun. 

Goal's Ronan Murphy provided further quotes from Kroos' interview, where he went on to say Ozil was rightly condemned for his photo with Erdogan and that players expect to face harsh criticism at times:

Kroos on Ozil: "Later he was - as us others as well - criticised for the performance at the World Cup. The type of criticism was certainly not always at a good level - but then you have to go through that as a player." 4/4 #AFC #DFB #DieMannschaft

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) August 15, 2018

In his retirement announcement, the 29-year-old said he felt he was "German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose."

In Russia, Ozil played no part in Germany's only win of the tournament—a 2-1 comeback victory over Sweden—but played every minute of their defeats to Mexico and South Korea.

At the time of Ozil's retirement and statement, journalist Raphael Honigstein appeared on BBC 5 Live Sport and gave some context behind Germany's friction with Erdogan. He also suggested the DFB could have done better to support their player:

"You would have expected the German FA to rally around him. The opposite happened"

Watch Rafa @Honigstein on the controversy surrounding @MesutOzil1088: pic.twitter.com/0cS7mdWTyL

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) July 26, 2018

The DFB released a statement in July dismissing Ozil's accusations of racism in the governing body, but it added it was "regrettable that Mesut Ozil felt that he had not been sufficiently protected as a target of racist slogans," per BBC Sport.

BBC News reported minorities in Germany were using #MeTwo on Twitter to voice their experiences of discrimination. Journalist Bojan Pancevski provided quotes from one citizen from Turkey:

“German identity is still linked to ethnicity here and that needs to change urgently, because it simply does not allow others to fit in,” said Ali Can, an activist of Turkish-Kurdish descent who runs a hotline for migrants and is the initiator of the #MeTwo movement.

— Bojan Pancevski (@bopanc) August 15, 2018

Ozil wrote in his retirement statement that he could return to the national team's fold if he felt there was no longer discrimination in the organisation.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has said Mesut Ozil has been "s--t for years" and is hiding behind his recent international retirement to make up for lacklustre performances on the pitch.

Ozil announced his retirement from the Germany national team on Sunday after he was criticised for taking a photo with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where Die Mannschaft crashed to a first-round exit.

Hoeness spoke to Sport Bild (h/t Mirror's Mark Jones) and was hardly upset over Ozil's decision:

"Ozil has been playing s--t for years. He won his last tackle before the 2014 World Cup.

"All he is doing on the field is playing cross passes. Now he hides himself and his crap performance behind this photo.

[...]

"No one questioned he was playing crap at the World Cup.

"His 35 million follower boys, who of course do not exist in the real world, all think that he has played excellently if he plays a cross pass."

Hoeness went so far as to say Die Roten would prey on Ozil in meetings with Arsenal: "Whenever we played against Arsenal, we played on him because we knew he was the weak point." 

The third and final installment of Ozil's retirement statement took aim at German Football Association (DFB) President Reinhard Grindel, whom he accused of "mistreatment":

III / III pic.twitter.com/c8aTzYOhWU

— Mesut Özil (@M10) July 22, 2018

Ozil addressed his meeting with controversial leader Erdogan—which Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan also attended—and how his Turkish ancestry made it OK. He said he felt the German media and members of the DFB were far from accepting.

Germany followed the trend of World Cup champions to fall at the first hurdle of their title defence in Russia. They exited this summer's tournament after a 2-0 defeat to South Korea in their final match saw them finish bottom of Group F.

The Gunners star departs the national team having played a prominent role in their run to the 2014 World Cup title, which now appears likely to be the crowning achievement in his international tenure.

German journalist Raphael Honigstein told TalkSport's Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show that Ozil could return to the fold if Grindel were to step down and touched on the "toxic" environment surrounding Germany at present:

"This sends a troubling message."@Honigstein explains why Mesut Ozil's departure could change the long-term future of the German national team.

Listen below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fUHTP4bcCf

— talkSPORT Boxing (@boxing_ts) July 23, 2018

Hoeness' comments hardly serve to mend broken bridges, and one thing that now seems certain is Bayern will never make a move to recruit Ozil as long as the 66-year-old is in the president's chair.

As commentator Kevin Hatchard noted, Hoeness may have inadvertently supported Ozil in his plight after revealing another nasty aspect to Germany's football hierarchy:

The abuse from far-right groups isn't a surprise, but it's seeped into mainstream media in Germany too, and if he no longer feels supported by the DFB, I can understand why he's walking away. Hoeness' comments today indicative of unfair sentiment towards him.

— Kevin Hatchard 🎙⚽️ (@kevinhatchard) July 23, 2018

Ozil was highlighted as a weak point in manager Joachim Low's side at the time of their World Cup exit, but the entire team were not at their best.

Yet while the Arsenal star felt he was persecuted, Low was given assurances over his future with the team, per Sky Sports:

OFFICIAL: Joachim #Löw will continue as #DieMannschaft head coach 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/PL6xJUgPxH

— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) July 3, 2018

Hoeness has moved on quickly from a player who had a large hand in Germany's 2014 World Cup triumph as the fallout from a disastrous campaign in Russia continues to set off sparks.

Joachim Low has decided to remain as Germany manager following their premature exit from the 2018 World Cup. 

Germany confirmed Low will carry on in his role, seeing out the contract he signed the month prior to the tournament, which will keep him in charge of the national team until 2022, after taking some time to make a decision on his future.

Bild's Christian Falk (h/t MailOnline's Michael Searles) first reported the news.

Die Mannschaft were beaten by Mexico and South Korea in Russia, condemning them to their first group-stage exit at a World Cup since 1938.

German newspaper FAZ (h/t Goal's Ronan Murphy) took a look at what went wrong for the team under Low:

German newspaper FAZ has an expose on what went wrong for Germany:
-Rift between young and old players
-Neuer's special status meaning form counted for nothing, and older players were favoured
-Wrong training camp selected
-Low's mishandling of Ozil/Erdogan#GER #DieMannschaft

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) July 3, 2018

The signs that all was not well were there even before the tournament began. They were beaten 2-1 by Austria in the first of their two warm-up friendlies and squeezed past Saudi Arabia—whom Russia dispatched 5-0 in the opening game of the World Cup—by the same scoreline in the second.

Manuel Neuer retained his place as Germany's No. 1 goalkeeper ahead of Barcelona stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen despite his last Bayern Munich appearance coming in September because of injury, and talk of disruption in the camp did little to help either.

Low has been manager of the German national team since replacing Jurgen Klinsmann after the 2006 World Cup, but until this tournament he has boasted an incredible record with the side, per football commentator Arlo White:

Joachim Low’s record in major tournaments (inc Confed Cup) since taking over as manager of #Ger. Reached at least the SF in all six. It’s astonishing. pic.twitter.com/knkVD7jBrG

— Arlo White (@arlowhite) June 27, 2018

After overseeing a historical failure from Die Mannschaft, he'll be eager to atone at the next World Cup and in the European Championship and UEFA Nations League in the meantime.

He would also have been walking away from a lucrative deal had he stepped down, per ESPN's Darren Rovell:

Germany’s manager Joachim Low makes more than any other national team coach ($4.46 million). They have been eliminated.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 27, 2018

Getting Germany back on their feet, particularly if there are rifts within the squad that need healing, and transitioning to their newer generation of players will be one of the biggest challenges of Low's career, but his earlier record speaks for itself and he has earned the chance to put things right.

The players will also be driven to make amends for their failure, so they'll need to work with Low in the coming years to do so.

Defending champions Germany crashed out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday after they were beaten 2-0 by South Korea.

The result means both teams depart the tournament while Sweden win Group F and are joined by Mexico in the last 16.

     

Low To Blame For Germany’s Exit

Germany’s shock exit from the World Cup is the first time Die Mannschaft have failed to make it out of the group stage since 1938, per Opta:

2 – This is only the second time that Germany have been eliminated from the First Round at the World Cup having last done so in 1938. Shock. #GER #KOR #KORGER #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/jIZWOlxeEw

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 27, 2018

The defending champions qualified in style but struggled in their World Cup warm-up games, and they could not turn their form around when they arrived in Russia.

A defeat to Mexico set the tone for their campaign, and although they managed a dramatic last-gasp win over Sweden, their loss to South Korea proved costly.

Manager Joachim Low must take the blame for their early exit. His decision to omit Leroy Sane from his squad will return to haunt him particularly as the team struggled in attack.

Low chose Julian Brandt over Sane, but the Bayer Leverkusen man barely featured. Freelance writer Archie Rhind-Tutt highlighted his lack of game time:

Julian Brandt gets 12 minutes to shine for Germany. Given that he’s probably threatened more than Germany’s entire forward line in the 7 minutes he’s had in the previous two games, might be enough...

— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) June 27, 2018

The Germany boss made some big decisions in the three games as he dropped Mesut Ozil for the win over Sweden, while Thomas Muller was axed for the defeat to South Korea.

The changes did little to improve the team who looked complacent, disjointed and lacking in ideas. Germany would have expected to win the group but finished bottom and did not deserve a place in the knockout stages.

  

Germany Must Find Lethal Finisher After Toothless Attack

Germany's failure at the World Cup highlighted their need for a lethal finisher to bring goals to a toothless attack.

The defending champions managed just two goals in Russia, a Marco Reus strike and a free-kick from Toni Kroos. Strikers Mario Gomez, Timo Werner and Thomas Muller did not find the back of the net once.

Freelance football writer Lars Pollmann offered his view of Reus' display against South Korea:

https://twitter.com/LarsPollmann/status/1011998725496102912

Werner also had a disappointing tournament, although he was not helped by being played out of position. Tom Adams at Eurosport was not impressed with the striker:

https://twitter.com/tomEurosport/status/1012004880934981633

At just 22, Werner still has time on his side, which cannot be said about 32-year-old Mario Gomez. The Stuttgart player was Germany's oldest player at the World Cup and was something of a surprise inclusion.

There were no surprises about Muller's inclusion, but he is another player who could not find his best form. Sports journalist Stefan Bienkowski said he looked lethargic:

I think there were problems across the board for Germany in this tournament but I can't get over how lethargic the likes of Ozil, Kroos, Muller and Khedira were this summer. Some tired, others out of form but all clearly lacking incentive.

— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) June 27, 2018

Germany's exit at the group stage is a big shock given the strength of their squad. There is plenty of young talent available to Low, but the team still need to find a lethal finisher.

   

Neuer's Reckless Nature Exposed in Moment of Madness

Germany's fate was sealed when Kim Young-gwon put South Korea 1-0 up in stoppage time, but it got even better four minutes later when Heung-min Son added a second.

The Tottenham Hotspur man profited from Manuel Neuer's decision to go upfield. He latched onto a long ball and tapped it into an empty net after the goalkeeper had been caught in possession deep in South Korea's half.

It was a moment of madness from Neuer, who was far too high up the pitch and paid for it dearly.

Sportswriter Andy West enjoyed the moment:

Somebody give Manuel Neuer an Oscar for best comedy moment. 2018 won't beat that.

— Andy West (@andywest01) June 27, 2018

Neuer is known for his ability to be a sweeper-keeper and his desire to go up for corners late in games when his teams need a goal.

However, on this occasion, he got it badly wrong. For all his qualities, the Germany captain needs to temper his reckless nature for the benefit of his team.

     

What's Next

Germany return to action when they play France in the UEFA Nations League in September. South Korea's next scheduled fixture is not until January 2019 when they take on the Philippines in the Asian Cup.

Toni Kroos' late winner for Germany against Sweden might just be the most memorable moment of the 2018 FIFA World Cup so far. 

The goal was obviously celebrated wildly in both Russia and Germany.

But that's not where the jubilant scenes stopped. 

Toni Kroos struck a 95th-minute winner against Sweden on Saturday to seal a 2-1 win and keep holders Germany's qualification hopes in the 2018 FIFA World Cup alive.

Real Madrid midfielder Kroos curled in a shot after a free-kick routine with Marcos Reus on the edge of the box. It completed a comeback from 1-0 down for the holders, who were on the brink of elimination from Group F after Ola Toivonen put Sweden in front on 32 minutes.

ITV Football has the goal for UK audiences:

GOAALLL!!!! A late, late winner for Germany as Toni Kroos bends in a brilliant free-kick!#GER #SWE #GERSWE #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Kt6yUs51Jt

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 23, 2018

U.S. viewers can see it on Fox Soccer:

TONI KROOS HAS THE CLUTCH GENE pic.twitter.com/YDO2nNQty7

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2018

Reus equalised three minutes after the break, but Die Mannschaft still looked doomed when centre-back Jerome Boateng was shown a second yellow card and sent off eight minutes from time.

Had Germany not overcome the deficit, it would've marked the first time they lost their opening two games at a World Cup. The goal also means the defending champions, beaten by Mexico last time out, need to beat already-eliminated South Korea to qualify for the last 16, provided Sweden don't better their result against the Group F leaders.

El Tri still aren't sure of progress after Kroos' late strike, so they have all the motivation they need to get a positive result against crestfallen Sweden. Kroos' goal could be the turning point for a Germany squad embroiled in apparent turmoil before the 95th minute at Sochi's Fisht Stadium.

When it came to getting somebody to fill out a 2018 FIFA World Cup bracket, we felt we needed to find a person who knows what it takes to win the biggest prize in football.

Step forward, Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The Germany legend lifted the World Cup in 2014 and is now plying his trade for Chicago Fire in MLS.

Schweinsteiger made some bold selections, although his choice of winner might not surprise you.

Germany beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 at the BayArena in Leverkusen on Friday in their final international friendly before the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Timo Werner opened the scoring for Die Mannschaft before Saudi Arabia's Omar Hawsawi turned the ball into his own net after Thomas Muller tried to tap in from close range.

Saudi Arabia did get on the scoresheet late when Taisir Al-Jassim followed up a saved penalty kick after Sami Khedira committed a foul.

   

Holders Stumbling Towards the World Cup

Germany won but aren't exactly clicking into high gear as the defence of their World Cup title approaches. Die Mannschaft had gone five games without a win before tonight, their worst run since 1988, according to BBC Sport.

A positive result Friday has done little to build confidence about Germany's chances of repeating as winners. Part of the problem against Saudi Arabia was a lack of fluency in midfield.

Dominic King of the Daily Mail bluntly summed up the lack of quality early on:

Here in Leverkusen for Germany's game with Saudi Arabia. Whisper it quietly but the 'weltmeisters' aren't sparkling by any means... they're winning 1-0 but, for long parts, have been ordinary.

— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) June 8, 2018

A forward line with this much pace and fluency should be producing more. Inconsistency in front of goal will only create more questions about Low's decision to leave Manchester City's Leroy Sane out of his World Cup squad.

As OptaFranz noted, it's been a while since Germany looked this ordinary:

4 – It took 4 international matches for Germany to win their 1st game in 2018. The last time they needed 4 attempts for the 1st win in a calendar year was against Czech Republic in 2000 (1-0). Finally. #GERKSA pic.twitter.com/ccJuW9rkQr

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) June 8, 2018

It's not all doom and gloom, though, especially since this nation has a proud history of saving its best for major tournaments, particularly the World Cup.

The emergence of Werner, along with having Reus fit and the return of Neuer, means Die Mannschaft shouldn't be overlooked as potential winners in Russia despite their sketchy form.

   

Manuel Neuer Is Ready for Russia

Neuer's lengthy spell on the treatment table only recently came to an end, but based on this evidence, the 32-year-old is more than ready for Russia. The Bayern stopper looked sharp on his return to the national team, making saves to deny Salem Al-Dawsari and Al-Jassim in the opening 13 minutes.

Overall, Neuer was commanding in the box and decisive when stepping out. As important as his saves, the stellar No. 1 showed he's lost none of his comfort and technique in possession:

Just @Manuel_Neuer things 😅#DieMannschaft #ZSMMN #GERKSA 1-0 pic.twitter.com/s1WWhcBt65

— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) June 8, 2018

When you're not sure if you still have the skills... pic.twitter.com/gjmXw40YgW

— Alex Chaffer (@AlexChaffer) June 8, 2018

The only blot on Germany's copybook came against Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who entered at half-time for Neuer. Ter Stegen denied Mohammad Al-Sahlawi from 12 yards with six minutes left after Khedira had conceded the spot-kick, but Al-Jassim scored on the rebound.

Neuer has been out since September, but eight months away hasn't left much rust on Germany's unrivalled first choice between the posts. Coach Joachim Low's decision to make Neuer captain, despite his layoff, looks like a good one based on this assured comeback.

   

Timo Werner Proving He Can Win the Golden Boot

Having RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner available will make the holders even stronger than four years ago. The 22-year-old put Die Mannschaft ahead after just eight minutes when he capped a typically slick exchange of passes with a decisive finish.

Joshua Kimmich angled a terrific ball to Marco Reus, whose first-time delivery was swept in by Werner. It continued his prolific start to life as a senior international:

Timo Werner has now scored eight goals in 14 games for the senior German national team.

The shirt fits. 9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/VORkoItjF2

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 8, 2018

Werner is carrying excellent form into Russia:

Timo Werner's last three starts for club and country:

Goal
Assist
Goal
Assist
Goal

Talent. pic.twitter.com/gGjJO40AgR

— bet365 (@bet365) June 8, 2018

His timing couldn't be better since he's showing the form capable of winning the Golden Boot as the top scorer at the World Cup. Werner's subtle movement, deceptive pace and instinct for goal are sure to make him one of the more feared attackers at this summer's tournament.

What's Next?

Both teams will now focus on their group campaigns in Russia. Saudi Arabia will be in Group A along with the hosts, Egypt and Uruguay. Germany will need to improve in order to boss a tough Group F, also featuring Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.

Germany play their final international friendly before the 2018 FIFA World Cup when they take on Saudi Arabia on Friday.

The world champions were surprisingly beaten by Austria on Saturday and have now gone five games without a win. 

Saudi Arabia have lost their last two matches, and both teams will be hoping for a morale-boosting performance before they head to Russia.

Here's how you can watch the game:

             

Date: Friday, June 8

Time: 6:30 p.m. BST/1:30 p.m. ET

Venue: BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany

TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK), ESPN3 (U.S.)

Live Stream:  BT Sport Live

      

Germany In Real Need of a Win

Germany made light work of World Cup qualification as they cruised through their group with a perfect record of 10 wins from 10 games.

However, it's been a different story when it comes to recent friendlies, which must be a concern for manager Joachim Low.

Russia football expert Artur Petrosyan highlighted their recent record:

Germany 🇩🇪 haven't won in any of the 5 friendlies they've played since last November. Drew with England, France and Spain, lost to Brazil and Austria. Conceded in 4 of 5, scored just 4 goals. Crisis?

— Artur Petrosyan (@arturpetrosyan) June 2, 2018

Germany were without key players such as Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels and Toni Kroos against Austria but were able to welcome captain Manuel Neuer back from injury.

Low may pick his strongest team for the clash with Saudi Arabia and will look to Timo Werner to prove more of an attacking threat up front.

The RB Leipzig striker scored 22 goals last season in all competitions and his pace should cause Saudi Arabia problems.

            

All Eyes on Low After Sane Snub

Friday's match is Germany's first since Low finalised his World Cup squad and omitted Leroy Sane, Bernd Leno, Jonathan Tah and Nils Petersen:

The final 23-man squad for the #WorldCup 🇩🇪#DieMannschaft #ZSMMN pic.twitter.com/SOJa14wIOD

— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) June 4, 2018

The decision to drop Sane was the big surprise after the winger played a key role in Manchester City's Premier League title triumph. 

Low explained his decision to pick Julian Brandt over Sane, as noted by Eurosport UK:

Leroy Sane or Julian Brandt? 🇩🇪

It was a close call for Germany boss Joachim Low 📸 pic.twitter.com/YoIGYbhvAd

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) June 4, 2018

Sports journalist Stefan Bienkowski offered his view of the decision:

Sane the obvious exclusion here but he comes behind Reus, Ozil and Draxler in Löw's experienced/reliability pecking order and Brandt can play on the right effectively. https://t.co/rNWzX8RVMe

— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) June 4, 2018

Leaving Sane out is a big call from Low, and there will be pressure on players such as Julian Draxler, Marco Reus and Brandt to prove their manager made the right decision.