Germany National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Ter Stegen · Schlotterbeck · Tah · Rüdiger · Pavlović · Stiller · Kimmich · Goretska · Musiala · Wirtz · Woltemade

Germany wants to control the ball through heavy possession and high pressure, utilizing a 3-4-3 formation. This lineup aims to dominate the ball in the middle third and pin the opposition back with aggressive verticality. The goal is to keep the play moving forward quickly once the ball is won.

Ter Stegen acts as the starting point for the build up from the back. He sits behind a back three consisting of Tah, Schlotterbeck, and Rüdiger. Tah and Rüdiger provide aerial strength and physicality in the center, while Schlotterbeck acts as the ball playing defender to step up into the midfield. This defensive unit maintains a high line to compress the pitch. The wide defenders, Kimmich and Goretska, operate as wing backs who must cover the entire flank. They push high to provide width and track back to stop counter attacks.

The midfield functions as a central block with two central midfielders and two wide players. Stiller and Pavlović occupy the central roles to control the tempo and break the line with vertical passes. Stiller helps to connect the defense to the attack, while Pavlović works to intercept play and shield the back three. Kimmich and Goretska provide the necessary width, often drifting inside to create a box midfield during certain phases. This allows the team to maintain control in the center of the pitch.

In the final third, Germany employs three attackers to stretch the opponent. Woltemade leads the line as a lone striker, tasked to hold up the ball and bring others into play. On the wings, Wirtz and Musiala operate as inverted wingers who cut inside to create goal scoring chances. Musiala uses his dribbling style to beat defenders in tight spaces, while Wirtz looks to find pockets of space between the lines. These three press the opposition back line intensely to win the ball high up the pitch.

This 3-4-3 offers several tactical advantages. The team creates numerical superiority in the middle of the pitch when Kimmich and Goretska tuck inside. There is also a constant threat of wide overloads from the wing backs overlapping the attackers. The ability to press high in coordinated waves makes it very difficult for opponents to build from the back.

Germany relies on high intensity and ball dominance to break down opponents. This formation is best suited for matches where the team needs to dominate possession against a low block.