Germany U21 vs. Malta U21 preview: Team news and predicted lineups | OneFootball

Germany U21

Germany enter this fixture with something to prove as they look to regain momentum in Group F following a mixed October break. Sitting second in the standings on six points, they trail leaders Greece - who boast a perfect record of three wins from three. A strong response is vital for Di Salvo’s men if they are to keep their first place qualification hopes on track heading into the new year.

The last international window left plenty of questions unanswered. Germany began with a disappointing 3-2 home defeat to Greece, allowing the visitors to seize control of the group. Though they managed to bounce back with a 2-1 win away to Northern Ireland, the performance was far from convincing, requiring a late comeback to secure the points.

This time around, Di Salvo can count on reinforcements. Six players return to the squad after missing the previous round - Mio Backhaus, Joshua Quarshie, Nnamdi Collins, Fin Jeltsch, Aljoscha Kemlein and Aaron Zehnter - while three new faces, Lennart Karl, Arijon Ibrahimović and Mika Baur, are all in line for potential U21 debuts.

The head coach made his objectives crystal clear ahead of the double-header:

"The goal for the final qualifying matches this year is very clear: We want to win both games and get six points. Therefore, I'm happy that we can once again rely on several players in defense who have unfortunately been sidelined with injuries recently. This is important for achieving defensive stability. Furthermore, I'm pleased to be able to reward Lennart Karl and Arijon Ibrahimovic for their good performances in recent weeks and nominate them for the squad."

Team news: 

Asan Ouedraogo has withdrawn from the original squad, with Mika Baur stepping in as his replacement.

Malta U21

Malta arrive in Fürth struggling for form after a difficult run of results that has seen them concede 12 goals in just three matches. They currently sit bottom of Group F with zero points and will be looking for a major improvement to avoid another heavy defeat.

Their most recent outing ended in a 5-0 home loss to Georgia, where they managed just one shot on target while allowing 23 total shots against them - a statistic that highlights their defensive frailties. A far more compact and disciplined performance will be required if Davide Mazzotta’s side are to stand any chance of leaving Germany with a positive result.

Mazzotta has made six changes from October’s squad, recalling Kean Scicluna, Jake Vassallo, Lucas Caruana, Nicholas Agius, Josh Pitts and Miguel Azzopardi.

Team news: 

There are no reported injuries or withdrawals from the Malta camp. 

Predicted lineups

Germany U21 (4-3-3): Seimen (GK) - Morgalla, Jeltsch, Collins, Ullrich - Bischof, Aséko Nkili, Damar - Karl, Tresoldi, Weiper 

Malta U21 (5-3-2): Sargent (GK) - Cross, Micallef, Vassallo, Abela, Hili - J.Azzopardi, Borg, Grech - Tuma, Pitts