North Macedonia vs. Germany, 20:45 CEST kickoff
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The stage is set
Germany XI
The Germany team for tonight’s game has dropped and Hansi Flick has made a few changes to the team that beat Romania on Friday night. As expected, captain Manuel Neuer returns to the starting eleven but there are also recalls for Lukas Klostermann at right-back, David Raum, Kai Havertz and Thomas Müller. Marc-andre ter Stegen, Jonas Hofmann and Marco Reus drop to the bench. Antonio Rüdiger is unavailable having picked up a back injury.
Neuer returns
Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, is set to start for the national team in North Macedonia having missed the 2-1 victory over Romania with a muscle issue. Marc-Andre ter Stegen stepped in as Germany conceded their first goal in the Hansi Flick era, going behind to an early strike by Ianis Hagi in Hamburg.
But Neuer is back in training ahead of the game in Skopje and look likely to win his 107th international cap.
Full circle?
North Macedonia will always be a game associated with the shock victory the international minnows inflicted on Germany in March, known in the small Balkan nation as the “Miracle of Duisburg.”
It was a result that ended Germany’s 17-game winning streak in qualifying games and signaled a nadir in Joachim Löw’s tenure as Germany coach. But with Germany six points clear of their opponents heading into Monday’s game, three points against the team that humbled them in Duisburg would put Hansi Flick’s team on the plane to Qatar.
Germany have enjoyed an uptick in form since Hansi Flick took over earlier this year
‘I don’t look to the past’
Flick was asked in the pre-game press conference about the scars of that defeat by Monday’s opponents, but he was quick to banish it to history.
“I think the atmosphere in Skopje will be fiery. The North Macedonian team will be fully motivated. They want to protect their chances of qualifying and with their win in Germany they now have more confidence,” Flick said.
“This team knows how to play football, they have skilled players in the squad. So we have to show our own qualities and that will be decisive.
“I do not look back at the past,” Flick replied when asked about Germany’s defeat to North Macedonia. “We want to have our own philosophy on the pitch, to play united, remain active. We want to win and qualify as quickly as possible for the World Cup.”
The Flick effect
Germany have enjoyed an uptick in form since Flick’s arrival as national team coach, winning all four games they’ve played under him, enjoying a ratio of 14 to 1 goals for/against. While Germany are yet to be properly tested under Flick, North Macedonia’s coach Blagoja Milevski believes Germany are better under their new coach.
Blagoja Milevski is hoping for a repeat of North Macedonia’s famous win over Germany in March
Check out Milevski’s exclusive interview with DW here.
Probable lineups
North Macedonia: Dimitrievski – Ristovski, Velkovski, Ristevski, Alioski – Elmas, Kostadinov, Spirovski, Churlinov – Bardhi
Germany: Neuer – Hofmann, Süle, Rüdiger, Kehrer – Kimmich, Goretzka – Sane, Reus, Gnabry – Werner
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