Euro 2022: A guide to the Germany team

Euro 2022 is taking place at 10 venues across England between 6-31 July. Germany are in Group B, along with Spain, Denmark and Finland. Jana Lange, a reporter for German news agency Sport-Informations-Dienst, assesses their chances this summer.

How will Germany do?

Expectations are difficult this time. The German team has had to cope with a lot of injuries, the team is not in sync yet.

The defence especially needs to improve, with the line-up here still unclear. As usual, Germany has three very good goalkeepers (Merle Frohms, Almuth Schult and Ann-Katrin Berger).

Midfield and attack are quite stacked too, but Lyon's injured midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan and Chelsea's Melanie Leupolz, who announced her pregnancy in March, will be missed.

The country always expects a lot from the record eight-time champions and it would be considered a failure if they don't make it to the semi-finals again.

Who is the manager?

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, 54, has tons of experience, including managing Switzerland's national side for six years, and that was considered her big strength when she took over from Steffi Jones in 2018.

The German, who won four European Championships as a player, is under pressure after losing in the quarter-finals at the last World Cup against Sweden.

Voss-Tecklenburg, considered a good team player who works on her team with meticulousness, has repeatedly stated that she doesn't know what to expect from her team at the Euros.

Germany have become more versatile than before. They still focus on speed and transition, but they also try to have more possession nowadays with technically gifted midfielders like Lina Magull and Sara Dabritz as playmakers.

Voss-Tecklenburg prefers a rather fluid 4-3-3 formation in which a lot of players have the freedom to switch positions. What they lacked recently though was ruthless finishing.

Who is the star player?

Alexandra Popp helped Wolfsburg reach the Champions League semi-finals this season, as well as win a German league and cup double

With Dzsenifer Marozsan missing out through injury, I think that would be Wolfsburg player Alexandra Popp.

She is the captain, but she is coming back from a very long injury. She is a leader on and off the pitch, she is ultra versatile and can play any position from striker to defender.

For the Euros expect her in an offensive role where she will try to use her strength and aerial power.

Who is the rising star?

It is probably 20-year-old Lena Oberdorf, if the Wolfsburg player gets to play in the role of holding midfielder and not as centre-back.

She's great with the ball with superb passing skills, but she is also a fantastic finisher and absolutely fierce in duels and ball-winning.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Ann-Katrin Berger (Chelsea), Merle Frohms (Eintracht Frankfurt), Almuth Schult (Wolfsburg).

Defenders: Sara Doorsoun (Eintracht Frankfurt), Giulia Gwinn (Bayern Munich), Marina Hegering (Bayern Munich), Kathrin Hendrich (Wolfsburg), Sophia Kleinherne (Eintracht Frankfurt), Felicitas Rauch (Wolfsburg).

Midfielders: Sara Dabritz (PSG), Linda Dallmann (Bayern Munich), Svenja Huth (Wolfsburg), Lena Lattwein (Wolfsburg), Sydney Lohmann (Bayern Munich), Lina Magull (Bayern Munich), Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg).

Forwards: Nicole Anyomi (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jule Brand (Hoffenheim), Klara Buhl (Bayern Munich), Laura Freigang (Eintracht Frankfurt), Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg), Lea Schuller (Bayern Munich), Tabea Wassmuth (Wolfsburg).