Profile and Podcasts
As Sky Sports News Germany's Gernot Bauer told Newstalk's Team 33, it's now or never for Jogi Loew's Germany.
The Germans have the squad and players to make a real mark in Brazil, but in a very un-German stereotype, it is their mentality that has come under the microscope.
Despite being placed in a tough group alongside Portugal, Ghana and USA, most observers would tip the Germans to make it deep into the competition given the depth of talent in most areas of the squad.
Bauer told us that Germany may well end up playing a strikerless possession-centric formation with the decision to leave out Mario Gomez seen as evidence of this. Indeed Bauer believes that the traditional centre-forward is a dying breed in German football.
Listen to a full analysis of the German team with Gernot Bauer below via the Team 33 podcast player or subscribe to Team 33's World Cup podcasts on iTunes.
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World Cup Record
Appearances: 18
Best Result: Winner (1954, 1974 and 1990)
Squad
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hanover 96)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Erik Durm (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke 04), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders: Julian Draxler (Schalke 04), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Christoph Kramer (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Andre Schuerrle (Chelsea), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)
Forward: Miroslav Klose (Lazio)
Manager: Joachim Loew
Fixtures and Results
Group G
June 16 vs Portugal (Salvador) 4 - 0 (W)
June 21 vs Ghana (Fortaleza) 2 - 2 (D)
June 26 vs USA (Recife) 1 - 0 (W)
