For both Germany and Spain the international friendly football match in Vigo Tuesday is something akin to a journey into the glorious past as 2010 World Cup winners Spain and 2014 World Champions Germany are far from being in top form at present.
Spain - knocked out in the group phase of the Brazil World Cup - had to go through a fundamental change of players in their squad. Germany sees itself in the middle of a difficult period of transition as a new generation of players is required after the start of their 2016 Euro campaign fell well below expectations, reports Xinhua.
The team has not managed to find its spectacular World Cup form so far. In advance of the prestigious duel that is attracting worldwide interest, both need a good result to please fans and their coaches alike.
Germany's last victory over Spain dates back to Aug 16, 2000 (4-1 in Hannover). One has to look back even further to find Germany's last win on Spanish soil, in the 1982 World Cup (2-1).
Germany's problems appear to be significantly bigger than their rivals as head coach Joachim Low (54) and his team are suffering a post World Cup hangover. Getting to grips with life after their monumental success is not easy for them at the moment. Low is trying to find answers to a small crisis that is taking its time to be resolved.
"What we are currently seeing is the price you have to pay as a World Champion," said German football idol Franz Beckenbauer when talking about the retirement of key players like Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Lazio Rome) and Per Mertesacker (FC Arsenal) as well as long and short-term injuries to Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Mesut Oezil (Arsenal), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Ilkay Guendogan and Mats Hummels (both Dortmund). They are all being sorely missed.
The No.1 goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (injured - right knee) is also sidelined as are central defender Jerome Boateng (ankle problems/both Bayern Munich), Christoph Kramer (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Andre Schuerrle (FC Chelsea) and Julian Draxler (FC Schalke 04). Low has picked Robin Knoche (VfL Wolfsburg) as a replacement. Dortmund goalie Roman Weidenfeller and Hannover keeper Ron-Robert Zieler are expected to play 45 minutes each.
Low is expected to change the tactical system (3-5-2 in the 4-0 win against Gibraltar in Germany's last European Qualifier) into a more solid 4-3-3 system. He said that striker Kevin Volland (TSG Hoffenheim) and defender Antonio Ruediger (VfB Stuttgart) will be in the starting eleven. Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia) and Khedira are fit after recovering from minor injuries.
Germany is struggling to find their way back to the road to success. Though the country's academy is regarded as one of the world's best, Low still has to find personnel to fit the bill.
"Maybe we haven't got as much talent as we thought. We aren't the world's top team at the moment," said midfielder Toni Kroos. He and his clubmate Sami Khedira know their Spanish opponents better than their teammates as both play for Real Madrid. "It's going to be a bigger game for Spain than for us," said Khedira.
Low hopes his team will do better than their current form indicates as Germany are currently third in their 2016 European Championship campaign group and desperately need to improve. "We all need to free our minds, forget about the World Cup in Brazil and focus on the upcoming tasks," he said.
"When we play against such a great team as Spain I expect my players to do better. We had to go through some disappointments lately, but I'm still optimistic, we'll strike back next year," Low said.
