Hansi Flick’s Germany: European goal machines have struggled at the 2022 World Cup

It’s been eight years since Germany beat Argentina to lift the World Cup in Brazil. Mario Gotze’s winner in extra time has been etched in history ever since, as the Germans rocked up to the Maracana and defied the odds to beat the South Americans on the back of their 7-1 thrashing of Brazil. While Joachim Low put together a brilliant team, their momentum had completely tailed off by the time Russia 2018 rolled around, and the defence of their title lasted only three games as they crashed out in the group stage with just one win.

The recent European Championship represented the end of Low’s tenure. Hansi Flick is now in charge and leads the Germans through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a new identity. Indeed, after waltzing through the qualifiers, scoring plenty of goals in the process, it’s a surprise more football betting sites aren’t tipping Flick’s side to go to distance, with current holders France backed amongst the favourites with Brazil in the World Cup 2022 winner odds.

This is a new look German side that will turn a few heads if their form in qualifying is anything to go by. Rampant in front of goal, Flick has shown his managerial quality already by implementing his attacking style on the Germany team. Having won the treble with Bayern Munich in 2020, including a behind-closed-doors Champions League win against Paris Saint-Germain, Flick knows how to win the big matches and has inherited a squad with a core rooted in that Bavarian efficiency.

Indeed, the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Muller, key components of Flick’s Bayern squad, will be called upon once again in Qatar, joining the talented forwards of Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala and Karim Adeyemi, who has led the line valiantly as Erling Haaland’s replacement at Borussia Dortmund.

The route to the finals has been far from straightforward though. Having drawn Spain, Costa Rica and Japan, Flick will know he will need his marksmen to reach the latter stages of the competition.  After scoring 36 and conceding just four throughout qualifying, the Germans dispatched the likes of Lichtenstein 9-0, Armenia 6-0 and a recent 5-2 win over Italy has shown how strong they can be, with Flick himself aware of expectations.  But after losing to Japan many feared they would face a similar fate to four years ago.

“We’re preparing well and while we can’t guarantee success,” he said, “we can make sure we are in the best possible shape to face our opponents. And I hope that, in the end, the performance will be different than in 2018.

“My time in Munich had a huge impact on my work as a national-team coach. I worked there at the highest level, and it was an intense but good, successful time. Of course, I thought for a long time about whether I should take the step up to become national coach, and there were other candidates.

“It was never a given that I would have the chance to become an international coach in my lifetime. I’m very happy and on the one hand proud, but on the other hand there’s a lot of pressure.”

Only time will tell if Germany can go the distance but given a favourable draw there is every chance they can recreate history given the team’s experience and the run they went on in Brazil eight years ago.