They Always Bounce Back: Germany Attempts To Rediscover Glory

Germany is one of the most successful nations in the world when it comes to acquiring silverware from the major international football tournaments. This team has fallen on some hard times lately, however, and will undoubtedly be looking to put some bad results at a recent tournament behind them as they try to reclaim their former glory.

Manager Joachim Low, who has been leading the team since 2006, has announced that Euro 2020 will be the last tournament at which he’ll be roaming the sidelines for Germany. News like that will certainly add a little bit more incentive for his players and countrymen to send him out on a high in July.

With a population of just under 84 million, second in Europe only to the immensity of Russia, it’s no surprise that the Germans have had so much success not just in European competitions, but in all major international tournaments.

They have three Euro titles to their credit, tied with the Spanish for the most of any nation. They won in 1972, 1980, and most recently, in 1996. After falling in the group stage in 2000 and 2004, the Germans lost the final in 2008 and finished in third place in the two most recent editions.

Die Mannschaft has also racked up four World Cup titles over the years, second only to football-crazed Brazil, which has five. Germany won in 1954, 1974, and again in 1990. After that third title, however, the Germans fell into a tough period where they lost in the quarter-finals in back-to-back tourneys.

They were back in 2002, however, finishing second before back-to-back third place finishes in 2006 and 2010 that preceded their return to glory with the 2014 title. Failure to emerge from the group stage for the first time in history in 2018 has left a very sour taste in many German mouths, however.

That suspect and unprecedented form from the 2018 World Cup has not simply seeped away, either. They were solid in winning their Euro qualifying group with seven wins and just one defeat at the hands of the Dutch.

Since then, however, it has been something of a mixed bag for Low and co. They won just two of their six Nations League fixtures in late 2020, drawing and losing to the Spanish, and drawing twice to the Swiss. More recently, in their World Cup qualifiers in March, the Germans beat Iceland and Romania, but lost 2-1 to North Macedonia in one of the biggest international football upsets in recent memory.

UEFA have confirmed Munich as a host city for @EURO2020. 🇩🇪#DieMannschaft will play all three group games at the Allianz Arena. 🏟️

Quotes from @philipplahm, Fritz #Keller, Dr Friedrich #Curtius and Oliver #Bierhoff ➡️ https://t.co/VG82IXgc2E pic.twitter.com/vI3D1HBe5c

— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) April 23, 2021

Low is coming in with a solid squad that features a lot of the usual suspects. Manuel Neuer remains the best goalie in the world and will be in goal ahead of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is also a top-five keeper, so nothing to worry about there.

There is not a ton of talent in the back line, however, which Neuer and possibly ter Stegen will surely help mask when they can. In the midfield things are a lot more encouraging. There, you’ll find exciting young talents like Julian Draxler, Leroy Sane, and Joshua Kimmich.

And don’t forget about veterans Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan, the latter of which is having an absurd renaissance in Man City this season with a dozen goals at age 30, twice as much as he’s ever scored in a single campaign.

Germany could use a little more scoring from their midfield because apart from stud Serge Gnabry, there isn’t much to write home about with this group of attacking players either. Timo Werner shows a lot of promise, but he has come down with a case of the yips since his move to Chelsea, missing sitter after sitter for the Blues. Hopefully that won’t overlap into the summer.

Die Mannschaft sits tied with the Spanish on 888sport’s table for Euro 2020 winner odds, offering +700 to lift the silverware come July. They sit behind the English, French, and Belgians on that list, who are all much better and much more attractive nations to bet on for this particular market.

Despite that, the Germans are somehow tied with France at +130 odds to win Group F, also known as the Group of Death. We would suggest hopping on the French odds there, sorry Mr. Low, but we don’t foresee a swan song that ends with success for you this summer.