Group C favorites Germany is anticipated to receive a tough challenge from a hard-fighting Ukraine eleven in their 2016 UEFA European Championship opening game on June 12, Sunday at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.
The Germans, currently ranked fourth in the world by FIFA, are one of the most star-studded squads in the tournament. They are actually also one of the favorites to win this summer’s Euros as the team is led by Bundesliga champions Thomas Müller, Mario Götze, and Manuel Neuer.
Aside from the Bavarian trio, head coach Joachim Löw also has Arsenal’s Mesut Özil, Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos, Wolfsburg’s Julian Draxler and Andre Schurrle, Juventus’ Sam Khedira, Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Julian Weigl, plus Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen as Neuer’s backup on goal.
Not to mention that the team is also captained by Manchester United’s Bastian Schweinsteiger and Löw is surely in an unenviable position of having a team that is expected to win all their games in this tournament.
They do, at least in Group C where they are sorted with Ukraine, Poland, and Northern Ireland, evidently weaker teams in terms of roster quality.
Die Mannschaft eased off past Hungary, 2-0, in their Euro send-off on Sunday at the Veltins Arena as Müller added a goal to a Hungarian own goal late in the match, via Goal.
Meanwhile, world no. 19 Ukraine is also considered as one of the best teams in the tourney and is anticipated to join Germany in the knockout rounds. Analysts claim that they can beat any of the elite teams that they would meet on a bad day.
Manager Mykhaylo Fomenko’s side boasts off Sevilla’s Yevhen Konoplyanka as left winger and Dynamo Kyiv’s Andriy Yarmolenko at the right. Shakhtar Donetsk’s Taras Stepanenko in the middle of the midfield is a sight to behold with Konoplyanka and Yarmolenko and so Yellow-Blue will not be short of attacking options this summer.
However, one weakness of Fomenko’s team is defense. If they are not going to improve on that side of the pitch, then they are in for a rough night against the Germans’ firepower.
Ukraine routed Albania, 3-1, in a friendly last Saturday before going to this opening match versus Germany, as per ESPN.
The predicted result is a 3-0 romp for Germany.
Germany starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Neuer; Howedes, Boateng, Rudiger, Hector; Khedira, Kroos; Müller, Özil, Draxler; Götze
Ukraine starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Pyatov; Fedetskiy, Khacheridi, Rakitskiy, Shevchuk; Stepanenko, Garmash; Yarmolenko, Sydorchuk, Konoplyanka; Zozulya
