Germany begin their preparations for the upcoming European Championships with a friendly fixture at home to Ukraine.
Date: 03/06/24
Kick-off time: 19:45
Venue: Max-Morlock-Stadion
The Germans will be hosting the summer tournament, with plenty of pressure on them to go deep. Following the conclusion of the domestic season, all focus is on the Euros. Having named an initial 27-man squad, manager Julian Nagelsmann will use these friendlies to take a good look at his squad before cutting it down to 26. There are only two Premier League players named in the squad, with Pascal Gross and Kai Havertz being called up, the latter is expected to play a big role following a strong season with Arsenal.
Ukraine will also be using this game as an important test ahead of the tournament. They qualified via the playoffs with two wins against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland. Mykhailo Mudryk of Chelsea and Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal are key players.
Both teams are in the midst of two-game winning streaks, though Germany have been playing in friendlies exclusively due to qualifying for the Euros as tournament hosts. Defensively, the Germans have struggled, keeping just one clean sheet in their last 12 dating back to March of last year. Ukraine have been successful in front of goal scoring 10 in their last six. They have also kept two clean sheets in this period.
These two countries have played against each other nine times in history, the first meeting taking place in 1997. Unsurprisingly, Germany have been dominant, winning five and drawing four. The last game between them was in June 2023, which was a 3-3 draw in a friendly. Niclas Fullkrug opened the scoring early, but this was cancelled out by Viktor Tsygankov and they quickly turned it around with an Antonio Rudiger own goal. They made it 3-1, but two goals late from Havertz and Joshua Kimmich ensured that the game ended level.
Germany vs Ukraine Prediction
Germany have a young squad at their disposal and will need to mold their starlets into seasoned international campaigners. The likes of Jamal Musiala and Youssoufa Moukouko have found their feet in the Bundesliga and could make an impact this week.
Ukraine can pack a punch on their day but have struggled against Germany in the past. Germany are the better team on paper and hold the upper hand going into this game.
Team News
Germany
Toni Kroos and Antonio Rudiger will be unavailable for this game due to their involvement for Real Madrid in the Champions League final. Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck and Niclas Fullkrug will also be absent.
Ukraine
Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin will miss out due to the Champions League final. Premier League players Oleksandr Zinchenko and Mykhailo Mudryk should expect to play a big part.