How should Germany line up against Peru?

Having successfully avoided disaster in his first game since the 2018 World Cup in Russia — drawing the newly crowned champions France 0-0 — Jogi Löw can breathe a little easier as he and the DFB team head to Simsheim (home of TSG Hoffenheim) for a truly meaningless friendly match against Peru.

Several significant clues as to the starting lineup have already emerged. For one, Leroy Sané will not be present: after putting in a ten-minute shift against France, the winger left the team to be with his girlfriend for the birth of their son. Löw revealed several other details himself at a press conference (Kicker).

Marc André ter Stegen will start this match in goal. In the back line, Mats Hummels will fall out with minor Achilles tendon pain. The injury needs two or three days to recover. That makes it very likely that Niklas Süle will start this match. The other guaranteed starter is Hoffenheim’s own Nico Schulz. Löw indicated that he is very pleased with Schulz’s performance in training with the national team:

We have had newcomers who were more reserved in the first few days, but from the first moment he has been very present in training, has good speed and dynamism. Now he’s getting the game in his living room.

More likely than not, Matthias Ginter will start opposite Schulz at right-back again, because Löw intends to play Joshua Kimmich as his central defensive midfielder for the foreseeable future. Löw described Kimmich as “the solution for the near future. I was very satisfied with the way he interpreted this role.”

On offense, Löw has indicated that Julian Brandt will start, presumably on the right wing in place of Thomas Müller. Kai Havertz could get a chance to play, as could Julian Draxler. Here are two guesses as to Germany’s starting lineup tomorrow:

John Dillon

I think Germany can probably contain Peru’s offense, so I would like to see what Kai Havertz can do as a central midfielder, whether one things of him as an 8 or as a second striker. Nils Petersen is also due for a start. Brandt will probably start out right, and Draxler can take the left. In the midfield, if Kimmich plays the defensive role, Ilkay Gundogan can play the more offensively oriented part.

Valentin King

Val has a similar idea, but with Werner up front and Jonathan Tah for Boateng.