Germany pull Henrichs surprise against Mexico

Germany pulled a surprise for Thursday’s second Confederations Cup semi-final against Mexico as 20-year-old Benjamin Henrichs started for the first time in Russia.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Henrichs made only his third international appearance on the left wing alongside defensive midfielder Sebastian Rudy with Jonas Hector on the right.

It will be Henrichs’s first start at the Confed Cup having only previously come on for the last 16 minutes of Sunday’s 3-1 win over Cameroon.

There is no place in Joachim Loew’s starting line-up for defender Shkodran Mustafi, part of the 2014 World Cup winning squad, or Liverpool’s defensive midfielder Emre Can.

Schalke’s Leon Goretzka and Paris St-Germain’s Julian Draxler pair up in the attacking midfield.

They will slot in behind strikers Lars Stindl and Timo Werner, who have both scored two goals each at this Confederations Cup.

With Mexico’s captain Andres Guardado suspended, Giovanni dos Santos takes his place in midfield while centre-back Hector Moreno skippers the side.

Mexico’s coach Juan Carlos Osorio has opted to bring Javier Aquino and Benfica’s Raul Jimenez into the three-man attack alongside Leverkusen’s Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.

Germany (3-5-2)

Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Ruediger, Matthias Ginter; Benjamin Henrichs, Leon Goertzka, Sebastian Rudy, Julian Draxler, Jonas Hector; Lars Stindl, Timo Werner

Coach: Joachim Loew (GER)

Mexico (4-3-3)

Guillermo Ochoa; Miguel Layun, Nestor Araujo, Hector Moreno, Oswaldo Alanis – Hector Herrera, Jonathan Dos Santos, Giovanni Dos Santos – Javier Hernandez, Raul Jimenez, Javier Aquino.

Coach: Juan Carlos Osorio (COL)

Tags:

germany Mexico Henrichs Loew

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