Never write-off the Germans.
It may be a cliche but there’s plenty of truth in it.
Prior to Euro 2020, there were some concerns about how Joachim Low’s final tournament as Die Mannschaft boss would play out.
A 2-1 defeat to North Macedonia back in March and a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Spain in late 2020 appeared to reveal a vulnerable underbelly.
Defeat to France in the opening round of fixtures cemented some worries – it would have been a comprehensive defeat had Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m) not erred ever so slightly offside on two occasions.
However, Thomas Muller (£4.5m) and co produced arguably the best attacking display of the tournament when they ravaged Portugal on Saturday night.
The 4-2 scoreline would have been even more embarrassing for Fernando Santos’ side had Cristiano Ronaldo (£7.0m) and Diogo Jota (£4.0m) not combined twice to beat Manuel Neuer (£4.0m).
Germany opened up Portugal time and time through wing-backs Robin Gosens (£3.0m) and Joshua Kimmich (£3.5m). The latter’s talents are well-known but the former has emerged as a fantastic option for Dream Team Euros bosses.
The Atalanta representative has racked up 11 points despite failing to keep a clean sheet in either of his two fixtures so far – such is his attacking intent.
Germany’s most intriguing asset, however, is Kai Havertz (£3.5m).
Chelsea’s Champions League hero is classified as a midfielder in Dream Team Euros but has generally operated as a false nine – as he did relatively successfully under Thomas Tuchel in the final quarter of the domestic season.
Havertz scored Germany’s third goal against Portugal but was a key contributor to others without actually registering an assist, meaning his points tally of seven doesn’t reflect the effective nature of his efforts.
His position, price, and the fact Germany will take on Hungary full of confidence after annihilating Portugal, means Havertz is a very appealing Dream Team Euros option.
Low does not have the luxury of rest and rotation in the last round of group fixtures as Germany aim to secure a standing as beneficial as possible for the knockout stages.
Victory over Hungary and a draw between France and Portugal would see Germany finish top and so Gosens, Kimmich and Havertz are all likely to be deployed on Wednesday.