Germany v Poland - International Friendly Preview

After what has been a memorable domestic season, particularly in the ever unpredictable Premier League, attention will now inevitably turn to international football, with the World Cup on the horizon. Over the coming weeks there are a multitude of international friendlies scheduled as the teams participating in the Brazilian tournament attempt to get themselves into shape for the World Cup.

It seems rather odd, though, that Germany should be playing this match against Poland, given that the German Cup final is taking place this week, meaning that all Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund players are ruled out. Thus, this will be a very different German side that will take the field to face Poland, given that the entirety of their first choice eleven will not participate in this game. Neuer, Boateng, Lahm, Ozil, Gotze, Schweinsteiger...the absentees from this squad are almost endless, and the German manager Joachim Louw has named twelve uncapped players for this match instead.

Poland will also be without a star player, as Borussia Dortmund forward Robert Lewandowski will also play no part in this match. Lewandowski can also be associated with Bayern, of course, as he wil complete a controversial free transfer move to the German champions in the summer. The German cup final will be the Pole’s swansong as a Dortmund player, and it’s hard to see how anyone will compete with Bayern in next season’s German league after this disastrous exit from Dortmund’s perspective.

This means that this friendly could be somewhat more unpredictable than would otherwise be expected. Germany will be one of the favourites for the World Cup, but shorn of virtually all of their star players, it is hard to know truly what to expect from their squad. The depth and quality of the Bundesliga is well known, but it will be tricky for this German side to manage without all of their most senior, experienced and best players.

Louw has been an admired manager outside of Germany, given the way that he has galvanised a country that had been through a relatively lean period in its history prior to him taking over. But the feeling in Germany is perhaps somewhat different although it is acknowledged that he has done a decent job, finishing anything other than first in Germany is not valued very highly.

Many will question whether this is the sort of fixture that Germany ought to be playing, given that they ought to be trying to build confidence ahead of the World Cup, not facing a competent team with a scratch team.

But Poland will unquestionably miss their star man Lewandowski, and I still expect Germany to come out on top. This isn’t a bad Polish side, but it is one that won’t be going to Brazil, and that was with the Borussia Dortmund and soon to be Bayern hitman leading the line. I expect Germany to win with something to spare, as Poland don’t have the quality of player to truly trouble them.

Selections: Safe Bet – Over 2.5 goals (8/13 with Bet Victor), Value Bet – Germany 2 – 0 Poland (13/2 with SkyBet)

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12/05/2014     © Frixo 2026