Former Bayern Munich and German national team captain Lothar Matthäus
Now that Hansi Flick has named his 26-man roster for the World Cup in Qatar, pundits and fans have started to name their ideal starting lineups for the German side. Former Bayern Munich and German national team captain Lothar Matthäus recently chimed in with his picks for Die Mannschaft’s starting lineup at the big tournament in November.
In net, Lothar Matthäus picked the simplest and most reliable option which is Manuel Neuer. A selection that absolutely no one would argue. In defense, things get a little different. In a back four, Matthäus named Christian Günter, Antonio Rüdiger, Niklas Süle and Thilo Kehrer. Günter is probably the biggest surprise here over recent staple David Raum. Although Günter has been great for Freiburg, he hasn’t been well-integrated into the national team. Kehrer not wildly surprising but a number of reasons why many don’t have him in their starting lineups.
In the midfield, it is all Bayern with Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich playing centrally, while Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry help with the attack. This is standard for most as well, but Goretzka has missed significant time over the last year and Ilkay Gündogan has done plenty to deserve that central midfield position.
Lastly, up top we have Kai Havertz, which is the favorite for many but still a highly debated position. Niclas Füllkrug, Thomas Müller, and Youssoufa Moukoko are all solid candidates as well. With just days left, what will Flick decide to do?
[Source: bavarianfootballworks.com]