Watch the match between Germany and Denmark in the European Championship

The German national team is preparing for a strong match against the Denmark national team in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, which will take place at Signal Iduna Park stadium this Saturday evening. The tournament is currently being held in Germany and will continue until July 14th.

Germany advanced to the Round of 16 after topping Group A with 7 points, winning two matches and drawing one. Conversely, Denmark qualified after finishing second in their Group C, with no wins and relying solely on draws in all three matches.

The anticipated match between Germany and Denmark is one of the highlights of this round of the tournament, with both teams aiming to advance to the later stages and fulfill their ambitions in this major continental tournament.

Germany is looking to leverage home advantage and crowd support in their match against Denmark in the Euro 2024 Round of 16. Denmark, which showed organized and strong performance in the group stage, won't be an easy opponent for Die Mannschaft, making it difficult for their rivals to find clear vulnerabilities in their defense.

Julian Nagelsmann, the coach of the German national team, faces challenges due to the potential absence of defender Antonio Rüdiger, who, despite returning to group training, might start on the bench due to concerns over exacerbating his injury. Additionally, Jonathan Tah will miss the match due to suspension after receiving a second yellow card against the Swiss national team.

These circumstances make the match a significant challenge for Germany, which aims to overcome Denmark and progress in the tournament, relying on fan support and the strong competitive spirit that historically characterizes the team in major tournaments.

Antonio Rüdiger participated in group training for the German national team yesterday, one day before the anticipated match against Denmark, having recovered from a muscle strain suffered during their match against Switzerland, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Nevertheless, Julian Nagelsmann, the coach of Die Mannschaft, might decide to rest him if medical precautions persist, potentially turning to alternatives like Nico Schlotterbeck and Valdimar Antonsson, both of whom have not previously played together internationally despite their distinguished international experience.

On the other hand, the Denmark national team relies on the experience of star player Christian Eriksen, who set a new record for the most international matches played for his country after participating in their match against Serbia, reaching 133 international appearances, surpassing his teammate Simon Kjaer.

The Denmark team features goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel as one of its key pillars, heavily relied upon in major matches. However, the team will face the absence of Morten Højland due to suspension in their anticipated match against Germany.

Historically, today's match will be the fifth encounter between the German and Danish national teams in major tournaments, with victories evenly split between them in the previous four matches. The most notable of these encounters was in the final of the 1992 European Championship, where Denmark defeated Germany 2-0 to clinch the title. Since then, Germany has not reached the quarter-finals in major tournaments since Euro 2016.

Over the past decade, one of the most debated topics in German football has been whether to rely on a traditional striker in the national team's starting lineup or opt for a false nine concept. This debate has been particularly prominent in the Euro 2024 tournament hosted in Germany, where coach Julian Nagelsmann chose to include Kai Havertz as part of the starting lineup, despite not being a traditional striker, with the option of using Niklas Füllkrug as a substitute who possesses physical strength and the ability to score with his head.

Havertz did not deliver as convincingly as he did in his season with Arsenal, scoring 13 goals and assisting 7 others in the English Premier League, with just one goal in 10 Champions League matches. In addition, he did not score or assist in other competitions such as the Charity Shield, FA Cup, or League Cup.

This choice reflects Nagelsmann's strategy to balance individual player performance and the team's needs as a whole in major matches like Euro, aiming to ensure multiple options to deal with different opponent playing styles.

In the Euro 2024 group stage, Kai Havertz started in all three matches, playing for 211 minutes. Havertz scored a penalty goal in the opening match of Die Mannschaft against Scotland, in addition to assisting another goal.

On the other hand, Niklas Füllkrug had a significant impact during the season, scoring 16 goals and assisting 10 others in all competitions with Borussia Dortmund. In Euro 2024, Füllkrug played in only three matches for 73 minutes, scoring two goals, the first against Scotland and the second being the decisive equalizer against Switzerland that secured Germany's qualification as group winners.

Nagelsmann's player selection strategy reflects his focus on achieving balance between tactics and individual performance, with emphasis on leveraging each player's skills in the various conditions faced by the national team in major tournaments like Euro.

In his role with the German national team, Niklas Füllkrug emerges as an important and effective option in the attacking line, possessing the ability to score goals regularly. With his inclusion, the dynamics of play change in favor of Germany, especially when they need to break down tight defenses and rely on crosses. Füllkrug's aerial play skills and ability to penetrate defenses are important attributes that contribute to diversifying Die Mannschaft's attacking options.

For Kai Havertz, he is a versatile player who can play multiple roles in the attacking line-up, but may struggle in aerial duels due to his physical build and height. Havertz remains a crucial part of Nagelsmann's strategy for Die Mannschaft, yet providing options like Füllkrug enhances the attack in a different and effective manner.

Niklas Füllkrug's scoring of 13 goals in 19 matches for the German national team highlights his ability to make an impact and score in crucial moments, making him a valuable choice in Nagelsmann's plans for building an attack based on diversity and effectiveness in major competitions as his significant impact on the team is shown.

Nagelsmann's decision to rely on Kai Havertz in the starting lineup for the German national team in Euro 2024 caused widespread anger among German fans, as indicated by a poll conducted by "Bild" newspaper. With 90% of respondents expressing their desire to see Niklas Füllkrug in the starting lineup in the Round of 16 match against Denmark.

Füllkrug, who possesses prominent attacking abilities and the ability to score, is considered by fans as an ideal substitute to strengthen the attack and achieve decisive goals in major matches. Despite Havertz's technical abilities and his ability to harmonize with midfield players, Nagelsmann's continued reliance on him in the starting lineup has caused significant dissatisfaction among fans who have high expectations of Füllkrug in this tournament.

On the other hand, Nagelsmann justifies his decision not to rotate the lineup extensively, focusing on maintaining coordination and cooperation among regularly participating players in the starting lineup, which enhances the team's ability to achieve positive results.