Serge Gnabry is in red-hot form with Germany looking to win past Estonia and take another step towards the UEFA Euro 2020 finals with victory in Tallinn on Sunday (kick-off: 8.45pm CEST/7.45pm BST/2.45pm ET).
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The Bayern Munich forward plundered four goals in the Bundesliga champions’ 7-2 destruction of Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League the Tuesday before last, and has carried that blistering form into the international break, his goal and assist in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Lucas Alario’s Argentina taking his Mannschaft goal-haul to 10 in just 11 international outings. The 24-year-old will have Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus and RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner for company in a mouth-watering front three. Reus watched on from the bench at the Signal Iduna Park with his knee causing problems, while Werner had a cold. Captain Manuel Neuer will resume goalkeeping duties with Marc-Andre ter Stegen making way. Bayern clubmate Joshua Kimmich will forfeit the captain’s armband, then, despite coach Joachim Löw saying that the right-back-cum-central midfielder “is a role model on the pitch, with everything he does.”
Estonia shouldn’t prove too tricky for a Germany side returning to full strength. Germany won the reverse fixture 8-0 in June – Gnabry, Reus and Werner all on the scoresheet that day – and the Baltic nation are without their captain, former Augsburg centre-back Ragnar Klavan. The 33-year-old, who turned out 125 times for Die Fuggerstädter before securing a Champions League runners-up medal with Liverpool in 2018, has stayed in Italy with current club Cagliari. Fellow defender Joonas Tamm is suspended, with Nikita Baranov set to deputise. Regardless of personnel, Karel Voolaid’s side are likely to line up with five at the back, damage minimisation the order of the day for a team who are bottom of Group C without a win, against the visitors who are top with 12 points from five games.
Match stats
Germany have won all four of their meetings with Estonia, scoring 19 goals and conceding just once.
The two sides hadn’t met in 80 years when they faced off in their first Group C qualifier in June. Löw’s side ran out 8-0 winners in Mainz, with six players getting on the scoresheet: Reus (x2), Gnabry (x2), Leon Goretzka, Ilkay Gündogan, Werner and Leroy Sane.
While impressive, that win was nowhere near Germany’s all-time record in a competitive outing. In September 2006 they romped to a 13-0 win over San Marino in Euro qualifying, while way back at the 1912 Olympics they beat Russia 16-0, with Gottfried Fuchs netting a whopping 10 times!
Gnabry has netted six goals in six games for Germany in 2019, improving his international scoring record to a remarkable 10 goals in 11 appearances. The 24-year-old has also hit five in three matches for Bayern, including four in that 7-2 UEFA Champions League win over Spurs.
Löw’s men have won all three of their qualifiers away from home during the current campaign, picking up three points in the Netherlands (3-2), Belarus (2-0) and Northern Ireland (2-0).
Germany have qualified for the last 12 editions of the European Championship, a run stretching back to 1972. They have won the competition on three occasions – a record they share with Spain – in 1972 (Belgium), 1980 (Italy) and 1996 (England).
Probable line-ups
Estonia: Lepmets – Teniste, Baranov, Vihmann, Mets, Pikk – Zenjov, Käit, Vassiljev (c), Ojamaa – Sorga
Out: Anier (not selected), Aksalu (arm), Dmitrijev (match fitness), Klavan (not available), Tamm (suspended)
Doubtful: –
Rest of squad: Ainsalu, Antonov, Igonen, Kallaste, Kams, Kreida, Kuusk, Liivak, Meerits, Miller, Sappinen, Sinyavskiy, Zenjov
Coach: Karel Voolaid
Germany: Neuer (c) – Stark, Süle, Koch – Klostermann, Kimmich, Gündogan, Halstenberg – Gnabry, Reus, Werner
Out: Draxler (foot), Ginter (shoulder), Goretzka (thigh), Hector (muscular), Kehrer (foot), Kroos (thigh), Rüdiger (groin), Sane (cruciate ligament), Schulz (ankle), Tah (cold)
Doubtful: –
Rest of squad: Amiri, Brandt, Can, Havertz, Leno, Rudy, Serdar, Ter Stegen, Waldschmidt
Coach: Joachim Löw
