With neither Germany nor Scotland having any new injury issues ahead of the Group D fixture at Hampden Park on Monday, both managers are expected to name very similar lineups to those used in their respective group games on Friday
Germany manager Joachim L w is expected to name an unchanged starting XI from the side that convincingly beat Poland 3-1 at Frankfurt on Friday to go top of Group D. Emre Can made his debut for the senior national team in the win, and the Liverpool FC star enjoyed a dream debut as his country registered a win
Meanwhile, under-fire attacker Mario G tze bagged himself a brace playing at the head of a potent Germany attack, and is expected to be used in a similar role on Monday.
Germany likely to name unchanged side
Germany manager Joachim L w will know that Scotland will be up for the game on Monday, and as such, is unlikely to experiment with his side as they get closer to qualification for the European Championships next summer in France.
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The 55-year-old had words of praise for Bayern Munich star Mario G tze following the win against Poland, and is expected to name the 23-year-old in his starting lineup once again when his side take on Gordon Strachan’s men on Monday.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the game, L w is quoted by England’s Mail Online as saying: “I dona t think there are two Mario G tzes. Ita s even harder at Bayern Munich for him to get into the starting line-up than with the national side.
“He is up against (Robert) Lewandowski and others. But I talk to him many times and he is a top professional in every sense. He is my man for important games. He has a gift for scoring against big teams. Thata s something very few players have. He can play any position, as a No 10 or further up front.
“He is a very valuable player for me. He will always have highs and lows but Ia ve told him to tough it out at Bayern Munich and his time will come.”
Gordon Strachan open to changes before crucial Group D encounter
In contrast, Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has claimed he is open to tinkering with his side ahead of the game against Germany, following a disappointing 1-0 loss to Georgia on Friday. Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths could be one of those changes, with Strachan potentially pairing him with Steven Fletcher up front.
When asked at his pre-match press conference whether he would be open to making changes to his team, Strachan replied (via BBC Sport): “Yes. The work rate with this squad is unquestionable. These guys play for Scotland for nothing.”
“You’ve got to admire what they do because international football is getting a lot harder than when I played. I’ll say it again: we didn’t do enough to win the game [in Georgia] but we definitely did enough not to lose the game.”
The 58-year-old also reported a clean bill of health for his side, and insisted that was reflective of their positive attitude. “There are some places where, after disappointment, there are a lot of injuries – there are absolutely none [here],” Strachan said.
The Scotsman will be hoping that that positive attitude — aided by what is sure to be a boisterous Glasgow crowd — will help his side get the required result against the world champions and keep them in with a chance of qualifying for the tournament proper in France next summer.