Spain vs Germany: International Friendly Schedule, Predictions & Preview
Two of the last reigning World Cup champions, Spain and Germany, will battle each other Tuesday in an international UEFA European international friendly soccer match.
Soccer fans are in for a great game. Spain and Germany have won the last two FIFA World Cup championships, and they will play each other in a classic European rivalry game. Although it's just an exhibition friendly, you can bet soccer fans across the world want to see two of the best teams showcase their talents against each other.
Let's see who has the edge in this game:
Spain
Spain is the No. 10-ranked team in the entire world, and the No. 6-ranked team in the UEFA. In 2010, Spain took home the championship in South Africa after they defeated the Netherlands. During their title run, Spain defeated and eliminated Germany in the semifinals 1-0. Carlos Puyol scored the only goal of that game.
Unfortunately for Spain, they experienced a very disappointing 2014 World Cup in Brazil, not even making it past group stage.
In Spain's last friendly, they lost to France 1-0. More and more, offense is becoming an issue for the Spanish National Team. Barcelona forward Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma, known simply as Pedro, appears to be the only real threat for Spain on the offensive side of the ball. Spain scored just four goals in the entire 2014 World Cup.
Keeping the ball out of the net usually isn't an issue for Spain. Team captain Iker Casillas is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Not only does Spain have a terrific goalkeeper, but they have great defenders such as Sergio Ramos, Gerard Piqué and Raúl Albiol.
Vicente del Bosque has been Spain's manager since 2008.
Germany
The current champions of the soccer world look to end their exhibitions with a victory. Germany became the first-ever European National Team to win a World Cup in South America when they defeated Argentina in the 2014 finals. Miroslav Klose passed Ronaldo to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals. He has since retired from international play.
Germany is a well-balanced team without many flaws. Manager Joachim Low prefers to use a lot of middle fielders and defenders, rather than a lot of forwards on the field. Germany's midfield is led by Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller, the latter who led Germany in scoring during the 2014 World Cup with five goals.
Although Spain did eliminate Germany in the 2010 World Cup, Germany defeated Spain in 1966 and 1982.
Just like Spain, Germany has a great goalkeeper. Manuel Neuer is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and the young net minder has a bright future ahead of him. Unfortunately, he will not be playing because of a knee injury. Either Ron-Robert Zieler or Roman Weidenfeller will start in his place.
Schedule, Where to Watch
Spain and Germany are scheduled to play each other on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 2:45 p.m. EST. The game will be played at the Estadio de Balaídos in Galicia, Spain. The game will be shown on ESPN3 and you can view a live game stream here.
Predictions
Both Germany and Spain have great defenses, but a questionable offense. There's a good chance we will see Spain play their starters more because they have more to work out on their squad than Germany does. Home field advantage should play a factor, as well.
Spain wins 2-1
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