The latest round of fixtures in the European leg of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers continues on Friday. The action on the day will start with the game between Finland and Malta before ending with five simultaneous matches, including Luxembourg vs Germany at Stade de Luxembourg.
Luxembourg will not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing all four qualification ties thus far in Group A. The Red Lions have scored only once in the four outings while conceding ten goals. The run of results has placed Jeff Strasser’s charges at the bottom of the table, and even a third-placed finish will not materialise.
On the other hand, Germany could not have asked for a worse start to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, losing 2-0 to Slovakia in September. Since then, Julian Nagelsmann’s men have won three successive matches to go to the Group A summit, level on points with Slovakia. The run of results has left Die Mannschaft on the cusp of qualifying for the quadrennial event.
The reverse fixture at the PreZero Arena saw Germany cruise to a 4-0 win over Luxembourg, with David Raum, Joshua Kimmich, and Serge Gnabry finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Jeff Strasser has not made many changes to the squad he picked for the most recent international break in October. Only two players have dropped out from that group, and Luxembourg’s head coach has a full-strength squad ahead of the game vs Germany this week.
Enes Mahmutovic is the most notable absentee, with the 28-year-old defender recovering from a minor issue. Additionally, Yvandro Borges Sanches is not in the squad for the latest round of international fixtures. Meanwhile, Lucas Fox, Kenan Avdusinovic, and Adulai Djabi Embalo are in contention to make their senior bows for Luxembourg.
Anthony Moris will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Luxembourg lining up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in front of him vs Germany on Friday. The backline will feature Florian Bohnert, Seid Korac, Dirk Carlson, and captain Laurent Jans.
As for the midfield unit, Mathias Olesen will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Leandro Barreiro and Christopher Martins providing the creative impetus from the central areas. Finally, Edvin Muratovic will lead the line for Luxembourg against Germany, with Danel Sinani and Aiman Dardari completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Moris; Jans, Carlson, Korac, Bohnert; Olesen; Sinani, Christopher Martins, Barreiro, Dardari; Muratovic
Unlike his counterpart in the home side’s dugout, Julian Nagelsmann has made several changes to the squad he picked last month ahead of the trip to Stade de Luxembourg. Additionally, Nadiem Amiri has withdrawn from the group due to a groin injury. Assan Ouedraogo has replaced Amiri.
Additionally, Nagelsmann will miss a few more players, with Nico Schlotterbeck and captain Joshua Kimmich ruled out of the clash, while Karim Adeyemi will serve a suspension. Meanwhile, Robert Andrich, Antonio Rudiger, Robin Koch, Maximilian Mittelstadt, Nnamdi Collins, Angelo Stiller, Pascal Gross, and Paul Nebel have missed the cut this month after being in last month’s squad.
Oliver Baumann will take his spot between the sticks, with Germany lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Luxembourg on Friday. The backline will likely feature Ridle Baku, Jonathan Tah, Waldemar Anton, and David Raum.
As for the midfield unit, Leon Goretzka and Aleksandar Pavlovic will likely pair up in the double pivot, with Florian Wirtz reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Nick Woltemade will lead the line for Germany against Luxembourg, with Said El Mala and Serge Gnabry being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Baumann; Baku, Tah, Anton, Raum; Goretzka, Pavlovic; Gnabry, Wirtz, El Mala; Woltemade
While expected starters like Nick Woltemade, Florian Wirtz, and Leandro Barreiro were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Said El Mala as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s clash between Luxembourg and Germany at Stade de Luxembourg.
The teenage sensation has been the breakout star in the Bundesliga this season, with his exploits capturing the attention of several bigwigs. Meanwhile, El Mala has been excellent in age-group football for Germany, and he was the joint-top scorer at the UEFA Under-19 Euros 2025 with four goals.
This match can go only one way, even though Luxembourg will produce a spirited performance. However, while the home side will not go down without a fight, the gulf in quality between the two sides will dictate the final result. Germany will unlikely break a sweat, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Julian Nagelsmann and his charges.
