Spain vs. Germany: How Die Mannschaft Could Line Up in International Friendly

Joachim Low's Germany will be up against it on Tuesday when they make the trip to Spain to feature in a showdown between the current and former world champions. 

Although no more than a glamour friendly, Die Mannschaft will be hoping to make the most of the fixture in order to regain the form that took them all the way in Brazil earlier this year.

Following a horrendous start to their qualifying group and a somewhat lackadaisical 4-0 win over Gibraltar on Friday night, the pressure is now on Low and Germany to start performing like champions. 

Vicente del Bosque's side have enjoyed success against Germany over the past few years, winning each of the last three encounters between the two sides. But Tuesday's match truly could go either way. 

Here's how Germany could set up on the night. 

Defence

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Germany will go into this tricky tie with a somewhat irregular back line, following a number of injuries to first-choice players. 

The most notable of these is Manuel Neuer, who picked up a knee injury following the match against Gibraltar on Saturday. First-choice central defender Jerome Boateng also joins Mats Hummels on the injury list. 

This will then likely lead to Low sticking with experienced defender Benedikt Howedes alongside recent call-up Robin Knoche in the centre of his defence. The Wolfsburg central defender has been outstanding in the Bundesliga this season and should expect to start. 

Elsewhere in defence, we should see Dortmund left-back Erik Durm keep his spot on the left while Stuttgart's Antonio Rudiger comes in on the right, although Shkodran Mustafi and Jonas Hector are also available for selection on either wing.

Midfield

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Germany will look somewhat more assured in midfield on Tuesday, despite having similar injury troubles in the position as they do in defence. 

Gladbach star Christoph Kramer was ruled out with injury ahead of the Gibraltar game, meaning Real Madrid duo Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos partnered up for the clash. That is likely to remain the case against Spain, with Bayern Munich playmaker Mario Gotze keeping his role as No. 10 for Low's side. 

Lars Bender and Sebastian Rudy are the only other central midfielders in Low's squad as things stand, meaning Khedira may find himself replaced before too long. However, no natural replacement for Kroos looks likely at the moment.

Attack

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Low is likely to stick with an almost identical setup to the attacking line he put out against Gibraltar, with only Max Kruse dropped to free up one position for the defence. 

This will mean Thomas Muller playing the role of lone striker—a position the forward tends to shy away from—with every hope of troubling Spain's defensive line. 

Following another bright game for Die Mannschaft on Friday, Karim Bellarabi should keep his role on the right and continue to learn his responsibilities for the national team. 

Kevin Volland and Kruse are both available and could feature in one way or another, yet the third player in Germany's attack is likely to be Lukas Podolski. The Arsenal forward is one of Low's favourites and a functional player, and his selection would make a lot of practical sense against a formidable side like Spain.