Germany surprised many observers when they quickly rose to become one of the best teams left in the last eight. On Friday evening in Stuttgart they’ll face an unpredictable Spain side that has shown huge improvement since they first entered.
Luis de la Fuente will stick with the same starting eleven that faced Georgia, although Dani Olmo could replace Rodri in midfield. Olmo can bring extra flair around the box while adding balance in attack.
Here we will discuss the main points of Spain National Football Team vs Germany National Football Team Lineups.
Spain: Simon
Spain’s victory against Denmark ensured they would finish top of their Nations League group and advance to the quarter-finals, finishing three points clear of Denmark and four ahead of Switzerland who had both suffered early-round defeats.
Merino has added significant strength to the squad since joining Arsenal – making two tackles, clearing two clearances and winning four duels in their 1-0 victory against Denmark, earning him man of the match honours and earning himself the award of man of the match award in doing so.
Manager Luis de la Fuente should maintain his starting XI on Sunday. Marc Cucurella should replace Alex Grimaldo at left-back while Pedri and Fabian Ruiz should remain central members with Alvaro Morata leading the line as usual.
Carvajal
Dani Carvajal has become the cornerstone of La Roja’s “golden generation”, leading Spain’s defense with his physical style of fullback play and hard tackling – something La Roja are known for doing under Pedro Morais. Puma man Carvajal is now considered an integral part of La Roja’s style.
He may have narrowly escaped a straight red card against Albania in his last match, but that doesn’t make him immune from Germany’s threat. He will need to hold off Robert Andrich from Bayern Munich and Ilkay Gundogan of RB Leipzig; both players will likely come at him from behind as Bayern Munich have Robert Andrich and Ilkay Gundogan on their heels; also suspended are Robin Le Normand and Aymeric Laporte; Real Madrid teammate Marc Cucurella will serve as his partner instead – nevertheless he should feel assured as Spain boast one of the strongest defensive lines thus far in this tournament!
Le Normand
Le Normand was suspended for Germany’s last match, but is expected to return as a starter on Friday. He has shown strong form during this tournament and should provide a vital presence alongside Joshua Kimmich.
Germany’s defensive lineup seems set to remain unchanged with Aymeric Laporte and Nacho Fernandez out, although Emre Can may retain his spot as base midfielder while Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan will provide class and creativity upfront.
Jonathan Tah could replace Nico Schlotterbeck if Julian Nagelsmann decides to switch things up at centre-back; though Real Madrid defender Schlotterbeck has performed admirably thus far for Germany. Florian Wirtz may replace Leroy Sane in attack as he has shown remarkable form in this tournament and is among Germany’s premier goal scorers.
Laporte
Born in France, Aymeric Laporte earned 51 caps for France’s youth teams before switching to Athletic Bilbao and making his senior debut two years later in 2021. However, after receiving permission from FIFA to switch nationalities he decided instead to represent Spain at Euro 2024 tournament.
Manchester City center-back Laporte was chosen for the semi-final against Germany despite his persistent back injury; Pep Guardiola is confident about Laporte’s fitness to play however.
Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann did not enter this tournament with any major concerns, though Florian Wirtz could replace David Raum in their lineup and Jonathan Tah could make his comeback after serving a suspension last game. Overall, Germany have been solid defenders and possess an effective attack; yet have struggled at scoring goals at either end – making this game of key importance.
Cucurella
Spain and Germany will face off in an eye-catching quarter-final match tonight in Stuttgart. Both sides have been impressive since arriving at Euro 2024 with little fanfare, yet are poised to advance further than expected to the semifinals. Luis de la Fuente’s Spain entered with little fanfare but have made their mark by performing sublime football which has propelled them all the way into the last eight of Euro 2024.
Cucurella has started in every one of Spain’s matches so far despite being rested during their final group-stage game against Albania, and is likely to keep his starting place despite some struggles in terms of offensive contributions.
On the defensive side, he has done an outstanding job of protecting his team mates. In 20 starts in the English Premier League he made an average of 2.9 tackles per game this season and was also an effective pass receiver, creating one chance in four appearances for Spain in this tournament.
Pedri
Pedri is one of the top midfielders at Barcelona and an integral member of Spain. He makes sound decisions with every touch, is adept at passing, and often creates opportunities for his teammates.
He is an integral member of our team and always looking to improve himself. His hard work ethic is truly admirable and as an excellent footballer he will surely reach new heights in his career.
Julian Nagelsmann will likely stick with the starting XI that started against Denmark, with Jonathan Tah likely replacing Maximilian Mittelstadt at left back and David Raum and Florian Wirtz competing to claim one of two remaining central defence spots.
Rodri
Rodri has quickly established himself as an integral player both for club and nation. After joining Villarreal’s first team in 2015 under Diego Simeone and winning the UEFA Champions League that year, Rodri moved on to Manchester City under Pep Guardiola where his development continues apace.
Defender Marquinhos played an integral part in Spain’s run to Euro 2024 glory, and will likely start for City against Norwich City on Tuesday night. Additionally, his form at City has been exceptional this season with six goals scored and earning himself a Ballon d’Or nomination.
Rodri was widely criticised after taking to the microphone at a celebration event and singing “Gibraltar es Espanol,” leading UEFA to conduct a disciplinary investigation against him and Morata. They will hope for smooth sailing when facing Switzerland in this Nations League Group A4 clash.
Alvaro Morata
Morata remains an integral member of Spain’s national team despite his difficulties at Real Madrid, having scored 30 goals for them across 89 European Cup matches he is one of its premier strikers.
He led Spain to victory at Euro 2024 and is expected to continue as their starting quarterback for an extended period. Due to his physicality and goal-scoring prowess, he would make an ideal selection against Germany.
Morata could be replaced by one of La Roja’s injured players such as Unai Simon, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Rodri, or Nico Williams; Alex Baena could also serve as a suitable alternative who shares similar attributes to Morata while creating more scoring chances; both also play for Athletic Bilbao – his current home club.
Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal’s success at Barcelona this season has generated much discussion in the wider sporting community this summer, initially suggesting he might benefit more by being included on an Olympic roster.
But his stellar performances for Spain’s senior team has ensured he will feature at this summer’s Euros.
At 16 years and 57 days old, when he made his national team debut against Georgia in the UEFA Nations League match he set another record – becoming the youngest representative ever! Since then he has broken two more records including becoming the youngest goalscorer ever in competitive fixtures. Now an integral member of Spain, his performances against Denmark demonstrated just how seamlessly these skills combine with those of an experienced striker.
Nico Williams
Athletic Bilbao forward Adebayor is an integral member of Spain’s squad, contributing with his dynamic playing style and ability to dribble past defenders a significant advantage both at club and national levels.
He grew up in Pamplona, the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain. This vibrant city is famed for hosting an annual Running of the Bulls festival, which inspired him to pursue football as his career.
Luis de la Fuente has named all of his Euro 2024 title-winning players to his squad for this series of UEFA Nations League matches, though there are some injury concerns for Rodri, Dani Carvajal and Lamine Yamal who all remain out, with Mikel Merino from Arsenal and Martin Zubimendi from Manchester City being doubtful due to current conditions.
