Zimpapers Logo

DORTMUND. — World soccer champions Germany host England in a prestige international friendly in Dortmund tonight with both coaches primed to give youth its head for one of football’s great rivalries. But that is where the similarities end for Joachim Loew and Gareth Southgate, who is in charge for the first time as England’s permanent manager. Southgate takes over with England at their lowest ebb in recent memory and with expectations back home rock-bottom.

Loew, who has been at the helm since 2006, needs only to fine-tune for the defence of their crown at next year’s World Cup in Russia.

Loew is set to give a debut to forward Timo Werner (21), a rising star in German football, while goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer has been ruled out with a calf injury.

Germany are also without the Dortmund duo of winger Marco Reus and attacking midfielder Mario Goetze, the former with a hamstring injury while Goetze is recovering from a metabolism disorder.

There is also no place for Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng, the central defender who is regaining fitness after shoulder surgery.

Germany and England’s records at major tournaments may be very different — Iceland sent England packing, humiliated — at Euro 2016 and the Germans were disappointed to “only” go as far as the semi-finals.

But Germany are chasing a first win over their old rivals on home soil since 1987 and need no reminding of the 5-1 mauling their team took in Munich in 2001, when Michael Owen hit a hat-trick.

But Southgate is particularly light in the forward department in the 2017 vintage, missing the injured Harry Kane and Daniel Sturridge and dropping skipper Wayne Rooney. — AFP.