Joachim Low rings the changes up front for Germany and watches on as his side demolish Greece to clinch a place in the semi-finals. Mesut Ozil pulls the strings and Miroslav Klose picks up a nine point haul in the McDonald’s game, as Mario Gomez’s Fantasy owners are left with a single point after the Bayern man is afforded no more than a brief second half sub role…
Germany 4 Greece 2
The internet had been rife with rumours yesterday of a number of changes for Germany and last night’s team sheet confirmed a nightmare scenario for many Fantasy managers. We’d drafted in Mario Gomez in our droves with the intention of handing him the armband against Greece only to see him left on the bench for the vast majority of the 4-2 win, as Miroslav Klose was tasked with leading the line instead. Low made three other changes – Jerome Boateng’s return to right-back after suspension was expected but the decision to drop Thomas Muller and Lukas Podolski in favour of Marco Reus and Andres Schurrle on the flanks put paid to the idea that Germany have a settled first XI.
Heading into the semi-finals, then, we’re now left with question marks against the side to face England or Italy in midweek – going on last night’s selection, Mesut Ozil seems the only nailed-on starter of Low’s attacking four. The Real Madrid man provided a pair of assists in his role in “the hole†and ran riot all evening – he created nine goalscoring opportunities for his team mates, in addition to firing three shots on target. Reus and Schurrle had six efforts apiece, with the latter finding the net, while Klose was the game’s top scoring German performer, with a goal and assist bringing home nine points.
Elsewhere, the back-four and goalkeeper look nailed-on, as do Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the double pivot – with the latter content to sit deeper, Khedira is revelling in a more attacking role and fired four shots to Schweinsteiger’s one last night, in addition to finding the net; priced at 7.5, he is proving strong value and is the highest scoring midfielder in Low’s side over their four games so far, with a tally of 19 points.
Fernando Santos made a couple of changes for last night’s match. Grigorios Makos came in for the suspended Giorgos Karagounis in midfield, while up front Theofanis Gekas was replaced by Sotiris Ninis. In the highest scoring match of the tournament so far, Santos’ team still managed to find the net twice despite 24% possession all game, with Dimitris Salpingidis equalling Klose’s nine-point haul after providing an unexpected goal and assist. Giorgos Samaras netted his first of the competition and gave his side brief hope after squaring at 1-1 before Low’s side went into overdrive and simply swept them aside. With a handful of 4.0 priced players available in midfield and defence prior to their elimination, however, many Fantasy managers are looking to hold their Greece assets – the extra budget provides the chance to splash the cash on pricier alternatives still remaining in the tournament.
