Euro: R16: Germany vs. Slovakia, 6/26/2016

HajdukSplit

Registered User
Nov 9, 2005
11,035
762
NJ
If anything that pre-tournament friendly loss will motivate the Germans even more and not to underestimate Slovakia (although the friendly was played in a rain storm). Think of all the knockout stage games this will be the most one sided, I say something like 3:0 for Germany
 

Bon Esprit

Registered User
Jan 24, 2004
4,856
438
We had all the negative talking about team Germany 2 years ago as well and they still delivered. I think Germany wins this game.


The good thing this year is that no team really had a convincing performance so far. Maybe France, but they weren't really good either. Spain, England, Belgium and Italy all had their "Off games", too. So everything is wide open.
 

Hesher

Sagan for President
Jan 22, 2013
4,805
614
Slovakia
I expect a comfortable win for Germany. To be fair, I'm happy we even made it this far, I thought we were done after losing to Wales.
 

SchwenningerWildWing

Registered User
Aug 23, 2006
672
21
Germany
I can really see Germany losing this one. I'm not convinced by the team this year. To many of the offense players look like their not in their best form. Goetze, Schuerrle and even Mueller have not played that well. I'm also not a fan of Oezil. I know he is always able to set up a goal, but I did not like him 2014 and I do not like him until now in this tourney. To many easy turnovers and missed passes.
Defense with Hummels, Boateng and Neuer in goal is very good, but even they looked shaky against Ukraine and Poland. But I'm not sold on our attack. So, maybe it is the pessimist in me, but I can really see Slovakia getting a goal and then defend for the rest of the game and shutting us out.
 

Wee Baby Seamus

Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Mar 15, 2011
14,704
5,715
Halifax/Toronto
I can really see Germany losing this one. I'm not convinced by the team this year. To many of the offense players look like their not in their best form. Goetze, Schuerrle and even Mueller have not played that well. I'm also not a fan of Oezil. I know he is always able to set up a goal, but I did not like him 2014 and I do not like him until now in this tourney. To many easy turnovers and missed passes.
Defense with Hummels, Boateng and Neuer in goal is very good, but even they looked shaky against Ukraine and Poland. But I'm not sold on our attack. So, maybe it is the pessimist in me, but I can really see Slovakia getting a goal and then defend for the rest of the game and shutting us out.

Ozil had something like a 98.5% pass completion rate against Northern Ireland, and looked pretty solid in the other games. The offense hasn't been as incisive as it should be, but I wouldn't be pressing the panic button. As has been previously mentioned, there were times in 2014 where Germany was very much not looking dangerous.

I didn't watch the whole Ukraine game (which Hummels didn't play in, by the way), but Boateng and Hummels were anything but shaky against Poland. Both of them made some absolutely world-class tackles which stopped very strong scoring chances. They were my two men of the match in that game.

There are reasons to be concerned for Germany, as they have definitely not convinced in this group stage. However, I think this will be a case of them getting more and more into it as each game goes by, and (barring Italy beating Spain), they should be able to make a good run in.
 

SchwenningerWildWing

Registered User
Aug 23, 2006
672
21
Germany
Like I said, it is maybe the pessimist in me who thinks that we will lose. It would be totally Germany to get better each game now and make a run to the finals, but I'm not seeing it this year. We will see
 

Wee Baby Seamus

Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Mar 15, 2011
14,704
5,715
Halifax/Toronto
Why even bother? Mesut is our best player, of course he'll be criticized irrationally.

Ozil was my favourite player until he switched to Arsenal, I absolutely love him, but no way is he Germany's best player. Neuer, Boateng, Muller, and Kroos all over him. Arguably Hummels as well.
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
59,988
19,060
w/ Renly's Peach
Ozil was my favourite player until he switched to Arsenal, I absolutely love him, but no way is he Germany's best player. Neuer, Boateng, Muller, and Kroos all over him. Arguably Hummels as well.

Neuer and Boateng over Ozil are debatable; which is why I meant to type best midfielder/attacker. Muller however isn't...outside of WCs...and while Kroos is our coolest player because of the country of his birth (and Kramer's omission), but that doesn't make him our best.
 

gary69

Registered User
Sep 22, 2004
8,181
1,602
Then and there
I don't have any trust issues with Löw. If it happened once, it could happen twice, right?

Germany will beat France again, and after that it's a formality.
 

jniklast

Registered User
Sep 28, 2007
6,139
191
I don't have any trust issues with Löw. If it happened once, it could happen twice, right?

Germany will beat France again, and after that it's a formality.

Unfortunately either Italy or Spain would wait in the QF first. And I don't like our chances against either.
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
59,988
19,060
w/ Renly's Peach
Unfortunately either Italy or Spain would wait in the QF first. And I don't like our chances against either.

Really? I think we match up well with spain, we're the one team who can beat them in the midfield. Italy I'm much more nervous about given their style of play and our history against them.
 

jniklast

Registered User
Sep 28, 2007
6,139
191
Really? I think we match up well with spain, we're the one team who can beat them in the midfield. Italy I'm much more nervous about given their style of play and our history against them.

I don't see us beating Spain in midfield with our current setup of only Kroos and Khedira. And I don't think we're clinical enough to beat them with us chasing the ball for most of the time.
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
59,988
19,060
w/ Renly's Peach
I don't see us beating Spain in midfield with our current setup of only Kroos and Khedira. And I don't think we're clinical enough to beat them with us chasing the ball for most of the time.

I'd feel better about it with Weigl sitting behind Toni, Sami & Mesut, but I can't say that I agree. I've been very underwhelmed with Spain thus far.
 

Vipers31

Advanced Stagnostic
Aug 29, 2008
20,351
2,094
Cologne, Germany
I can't say I dislike our chances against any single team. There isn't a side that was too impressive. At the same time, we haven't been so strong that I'd take any opponent lightly or us as severe favourites against top teams. Makes for interesting matches without much of a feeling going in. Hopefully that all doesn't end before it feels it really started and we can overcome Slovakia.
 

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