Germany still have one qualifier left, against Azerbaijan on Sunday, but Joachim Löw has already set his sights on Russia 2018. Löw has pinpointed France as one of the biggest threats and will ring the changes on Sunday.
Image: Imago/Jan Huebner
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Speaking at a press conference in Mainz on Saturday, Joachim Löw said he knows how difficult it will be to find the same level of performance his team showed when they became world champions in Brazil.
"It will be the hardest tournament. Everyone else can only win. That is an initial situation that is not very easy. That means, to repeat [as World Cup winners], we need have success as a team, with every individual player," Löw said.
"In 2014, we won the World Cup without a big superstar. We won with a team performance where everyone brought something to the team and gave everything for the team. That’s what we have to do next year."
Löw says young talents like Kylian Mbappe make France a threatImage: picture-alliance/abaca/C. Liewig
Germany have won all nine of their World Cup qualifying matches so far, most recently topping Northern Ireland 3-1 in Belfast to clinch their World Cup qualification, meaning Sunday's clash is a dead rubber.
"We can be completely satisfied with our qualification, also the manner with which we played," Löw said. "Regardless of our opponent, we got a clear result. That speaks to the team. That speaks to the concentration."
Germany have depth, but so do others
In 2017 Germany have regularly showcased their strength in depth at international level. They won the Confederations Cup with many of their World Cup stars absent and were victorious in the under-21 Euros. According to Löw, regular playing time at club level is a key reason for their success.
"There are players in the Bundesliga that one way or another are playing," Löw said.
But Germany is not the only country with an embarrassment of riches. Löw singled out France, the team that eliminated Germany in the semifinals of last year’s Euros, as a country with similar playing resources.
"We aren’t the only ones with depth. France has players like [Ousmane] Dembele and [Kylian] Mbappe who are 18 or 19 years old and already play at a high level," Löw said.
Löw said he is going to use Germany’s international friendlies in November and March to test the country’s strength in depth. He has also committed to making three changes against Azerbaijan and will once again start Leon Goretzka, who excelled at the Confederations Cup, in midfield. Leroy Sane and Emre Can are also set to start.
However, with only a handful of international matches remaining before the World Cup, Löw emphasized that it's on the players to remain fit and prepare themselves for the tournament. "Everyone has to get themselves ready and have the hunger that this tournament needs."
Winners and Losers in Germany's World Cup qualification
After not dropping a single point in their first nine matches, Germany have cruised to another World Cup qualification. Who has made himself indispensable and who has struggled? Here are DW's winners and losers.
Image: Getty Images/B. Mendes
Winner: Timo Werner
No player has risen faster in Germany's team than RB Leipzig's Timo Werner. He received his first cap back in March and now appears to be Joachim Löw's main man up front, despite missing the latest match through injury. Germany have already won a tournament - the Confederations Cup - with Werner playing up front. Can they win another in 2018?
Image: picture-alliance/GES/M. Ibo
Loser: Mario Gomez
He had a renaissance at last year's European Championship – two goals in four games – to the point where Germany fell apart when he got injured. But Gomez has played just twice in World Cup qualifying. Euro 2016 may have been the last hurrah for a striker who once again appears to have found himself down the pecking order.
Image: Reuters/F. Bensch
Winner: Lars Stindl
Several Bundesliga stars got an opportunity at the Confederations Cup, but Lars Stindl was the one who made the most of it. The Gladbach attacker received his first cap in June, and now Löw is choosing him over some more established players. With the depth Löw has in attacking midfield, Stindl may not make the World Cup squad, but he has made a strong case for his inclusion.
Image: Reuters/G. Dukor
Loser: Andre Schürrle
He assisted the winning goal in the World Cup final, but now André Schürrle can barely get on the field, for club or country. As the Dortmund forward has struggled with his form, several others have passed him on Germany's depth chart. He got two goals and an assist against Azerbaijan in March, but he looks unlikely to win another cap anytime soon.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Becker
Winner: Leon Goretzka
Germany has a plethora of central midfielders yet Leon Goretzka has still found a way to break into the squad. The Schalke midfielder was arguably Germany's best player at the Confederations Cup, scoring three goals in four starts. His spot may not be completely secure if Ilkay Gündogan and Julian Weigl return strongly from injury, but he has certainly made the decision tougher for Löw.
Image: picture-alliance/GES/M. Gilliar
Loser: Julian Brandt
After a strong performance at last year's Olympics and a solid season with Leverkusen, Julian Brandt seemed poised for an extended run in Germany's first team. But it wasn't to be. He made just one start at the Confederations Cup and played poorly in the World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic last month. Considering Germany's depth, he may need to wait a little longer for his World Cup debut.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Eisenhuth
Winner: Marc-Andre ter Stegen
The back-up goalkeeper spot is no longer up for grabs. Marc-André ter Stegen has secured his place behind Manuel Neuer after another solid performance against the Czech Republic. He was named as starter after just two matches at the Confed Cup, a tournament where Löw was supposedly going to try out several players. In truth ter Stegen has made the number two spot his own.
Image: Reuters/G. Dukor
Losers: Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno
With Neuer injured, 2017 was the year these two were to solidify their standing with Germany. Neither of them have. Bernd Leno (right) made two big errors in his only Confed Cup start. Kevin Trapp (left) got his first cap in June, but a lack of first team football at Paris Saint-Germain may be his downfall. The pair's issues mean the third goalkeeper spot in the World Cup squad up for grabs.
His performances with Germany have been far from perfect and he may not live up to the €35 million ($40.3 million) price tag placed on him when he signed for Chelsea in July but Rüdiger he seems to have Löw's backing. He has played in seven of Germany's 10 matches in 2017 and although he may not be in the country's top tier of central defenders, he appears to be in the mix if injury strikes.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Becker
Losers: Niklas Süle and Jonathan Tah
A year ago, the two seemed to be Germany's defensive future - Jonathan Tah made the Euro 2016 squad while Niklas Süle (left) played at the Olympics. But neither has made a big enough recent impact to warrant a spot in the World Cup squad. Tah has had injury problems but even Matthias Ginter, who was not good enough for Dortmund, seems to be ahead of the youngsters.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/A. Nasyrov
Somewhere in between: Thomas Müller
He has scored five goals in World Cup qualifying, so it may seem harsh to call him a loser. But Müller hasn't moved past his Euro 2016 woes, so he's not a winner either. His recent decline with Bayern Munich doesn't seem to have carried over too much in the national team, but he's still not the Müller Germany fans know. Hopefully he becomes a winner in 2018, or Germany may not be winning anything.
