2014 World Cup winners Germany are back in action on Wednesday, as they play host to Australia in a warm-up game ahead of the resumption of their Euro 2016 qualification campaign on the weekend. Joachim Löw’s outfit may have been crowned world champions back in the summer, but their form has been slightly patchy since, with a defeat away at Poland and a draw away at the Republic of Ireland ensuring that making the next major tournament won’t be a cakewalk.
Germany vs. Australia 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Germany host Australia in a friendly in Kaiserslautern on Wednesday.
Having said that, it would come as a surprise if they suffered a defeat to the Socceroos in Kaiserslautern on Wednesday, as they did when these sides last met in 2011. Since then, Australia have seen many veterans retire, and Ange Postecoglou’s young team is still in its formative phase, despite winning the Asian Cup earlier this year. They’re also still heavily reliant on striker Tim Cahill, who has been ruled out of this match with an achilles tendon problem.
Key player - Mile Jedinak (Australia)
Australia's midfield anchorman Mile Jedinak certainly isn't the flashiest player that will take to the field in this match, but he will be one of the most important in determining the result. The Crystal Palace star will tasked with protecting his defence, and stopping the wave of German attackers finding any pockets of space in which they can slice through on goal. If he has an off day, things may get pretty ugly for the Socceroos.
Key question - How will Australia’s defence cope against a false nine?
Germany boss Löw, being the hipster that he is, hasn’t named a single out-and-out striker in his squad. The closest thing to one is Lukas Podolski, though it seems more likely that one of Bayern Munich teammates Mario Götze and Thomas Müller will have to lead the line. The success of both of these players in advanced roles relies upon their constant movement and intelligent positioning, and Australia’s centre-back pairing will have to be wary of this rather unique threat.
Match Date/Time Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. local, 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany
TV: ESPN Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), ESPN (U.K.), ZDF (Germany), Fox Sports 4 (Australia)
Online: Watch ESPN (U.S.), Foxtel Play (Australia)
Listings via Live Soccer TV.
See More:
