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Götze to start against Poland

One day before the European Championship qualifier between Germany and Poland in Frankfurt, Joachim Löw would not give away his starting line-up, but confirmed that two players would play for certain. Mario Götze will start the match, as will Mesut Özil, despite carrying a knock. Götze is looking forward to the game.

Joachim Löw on…

…the loss of Marco Reus: It is unfortunate for us and Reus that he is out injured. He got a knock on Sunday against Hertha and on Wednesday he was ruled out of the international games as he has fractured his toe. I am disappointed that he won’t play because he is somebody who can produce special moments. But we won’t call up anyone else to the squad, we have enough players who are good going forward. We won’t complain.

…an ideal replacement for Reus and the possible tactics: We have several players who can play in his position, like André Schürrle, Lukas Podolski or Mario Götze. I will make my final decision after our final training session. Our tactics won’t change and Marco Reus’ job will be taken over by others. One of our strengths is that our players are very versatile and are not bound to one position. We are very flexible and the injury won’t have too much of an impact.

…Mario Götze: Mario is a very important player for us. I know how much quality he has. He is a player who thrives on being in confined spaces. He will start tomorrow and show everyone what he has to offer.

…Mesut Özil: Mesut didn’t have any problems in training yesterday. He will also play tomorrow, and his knee won’t hold him back.

…Emre Can’s debut: Emre Can is certainly a good option for full back, which we will try again in training. He is a flexible player. He has made a good impression because of his great passing technique and he has adjusted to the team well. It is important tomorrow that we attack down the wings, therefore, we need attacking players. So it will be either Sebastian Rudy or Can.

...their next opponents Poland: Teams like us, who pride themselves on playing good, attacking football, often feel even more pressure facing a tough defence. Teams like Poland have a clear way of playing – they want to be organised in defence, not let a lot through and to play on the counter. Except for against Gibraltar, Poland have had less possession than their opponent in all of their qualifying games so far – they’re dangerous when you lose the ball. Therefore, it’s up to us to find our way through and to find ways in which we can pose a threat to them – but also how we can avoid being countered. Those are the most important areas which we’re looking to work on. At the moment, Poland are full of confidence, they’re top of the group – we know that we’re up against a tough opponent. It certainly won’t be a walk in the park.

...pressure on his team ahead of the game: We’re in a bit of a different situation to other qualifying rounds. We usually find ourselves out in front – this time it’s a bit different, but we’re still not feeling any pressure. I’m happy that there are some crucial matches coming up this autumn, but I don’t think that puts any more pressure on us.



One day before the European Championship qualifier between Germany and Poland in Frankfurt, Joachim Löw would not give away his starting line-up, but confirmed that two players would play for certain. Mario Götze will start the match, as will Mesut Özil, despite carrying a knock. Götze is looking forward to the game.

Joachim Löw on…

…the loss of Marco Reus: It is unfortunate for us and Reus that he is out injured. He got a knock on Sunday against Hertha and on Wednesday he was ruled out of the international games as he has fractured his toe. I am disappointed that he won’t play because he is somebody who can produce special moments. But we won’t call up anyone else to the squad, we have enough players who are good going forward. We won’t complain.

…an ideal replacement for Reus and the possible tactics: We have several players who can play in his position, like André Schürrle, Lukas Podolski or Mario Götze. I will make my final decision after our final training session. Our tactics won’t change and Marco Reus’ job will be taken over by others. One of our strengths is that our players are very versatile and are not bound to one position. We are very flexible and the injury won’t have too much of an impact.

…Mario Götze: Mario is a very important player for us. I know how much quality he has. He is a player who thrives on being in confined spaces. He will start tomorrow and show everyone what he has to offer.

…Mesut Özil: Mesut didn’t have any problems in training yesterday. He will also play tomorrow, and his knee won’t hold him back.

…Emre Can’s debut: Emre Can is certainly a good option for full back, which we will try again in training. He is a flexible player. He has made a good impression because of his great passing technique and he has adjusted to the team well. It is important tomorrow that we attack down the wings, therefore, we need attacking players. So it will be either Sebastian Rudy or Can.

...their next opponents Poland: Teams like us, who pride themselves on playing good, attacking football, often feel even more pressure facing a tough defence. Teams like Poland have a clear way of playing – they want to be organised in defence, not let a lot through and to play on the counter. Except for against Gibraltar, Poland have had less possession than their opponent in all of their qualifying games so far – they’re dangerous when you lose the ball. Therefore, it’s up to us to find our way through and to find ways in which we can pose a threat to them – but also how we can avoid being countered. Those are the most important areas which we’re looking to work on. At the moment, Poland are full of confidence, they’re top of the group – we know that we’re up against a tough opponent. It certainly won’t be a walk in the park.

...pressure on his team ahead of the game: We’re in a bit of a different situation to other qualifying rounds. We usually find ourselves out in front – this time it’s a bit different, but we’re still not feeling any pressure. I’m happy that there are some crucial matches coming up this autumn, but I don’t think that puts any more pressure on us.

...the year after winning the World Cup: At times this year it’s been quite tedious – there’s been a bit of a transition in the side, since a few players ended their international careers after winning the trophy, and others got injured. There was a bit of an emotional hangover too. We dropped some points and now we’re in this situation, with some very important weeks ahead of us – the next four games will determine whether we book our place at the European Championship in France or not. The players seem fresher and more motivated, and we’re going into the games with the aim of securing maximum points.

...his expectations of the team: In the last year it’s been quite difficult to make major changes, since so many players have been injured and the team lacked a bit of stability. The question is where we want the team to be in 2018 – what kind of football do we want to play, as the game itself will have evolved by then. Next year’s European Championship in France will be a good marker – we’re going into the tournament as world champions, but not necessarily as automatic favourites. Our second mission is also very important – defending our World Cup title in 2018. Playing three at the back isn’t the key to everything – those tactics have been exhausted, and it’s now about how we can be flexible in that system. The players of the future are defined by different standards – who has the sharpest mind, who can anticipate what’s going to happen, who can pick the right option with little space to work in. We have to improve our players in these areas, and that way we’ll find a way to break down tight defences.

...the European Championship and the Olympics: The Olympic Games are an emotional experience, one that you don’t get to be a part of much. Communication between the DFB and the clubs will be very important, but for me it’s unthinkable that a player will play in both tournaments. The EUROs are in July, and then the Olympics in August – that would make no sense at all, and wouldn’t help any of the clubs. The European Championship has priority.

Mario Götze on…

…his place in the starting line-up against Poland: We have an important game ahead of us. I am looking forward to it and am feeling positive. We want to win both games but we know it won’t be easy. I have turned my full attention to the national team and am looking forward to getting my form back. I am my own biggest critic and I am always trying to find ways to improve. Everyone goes through phases, that’s normal.

…Poland: They have an enormous amount of quality and are strong defensively, which they showed in Warsaw last year. The loss was a huge blow and we want to turn that around in the game tomorrow. We want to show that there are no points up for grabs for Poland. Robert Lewandowski has everything that a centre forward needs, he is world class.

…his situation at Bayern: I hadn’t even considered leaving the club. I am very much committed to Bayern and I am very thankful for the two years I have spent here. I feel positive at the club. I have played lots over the last couple of years and my stats aren’t too bad either!