Starting 11

So now we can all relax. Germany's rip-roaring 6-2 victory over Austria on Friday night completed the formality of qualifying for the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine next year.

But while Germany's side - still apparently as swift and goal-greedy as they were in South Africa last year - is looking ominously strong, it's far from clear who will be picked. Before Friday's game, veteran defender Per Mertesacker noted, "We've got top players in all positions now - that's a luxury situation that I haven't seen in my time in the national team."

And coach Joachim Löw seems to be actively nurturing rivalries in all those positions. No one, apparently, can be absolutely sure of their place: "The coach has clear expectations," said Mertesacker. "And anyone who doesn't meet them doesn't have a chance."

So who constitutes this apparent embarrassment of riches? Will Löw continue his policy of bringing in young players as soon as he can? We tried to weigh up Löw's options - in his favored 4 - 2 - 3 -1 formation - and come up with a top starting 11 for next year.

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer

We should get this no-brainer out of the way first. Unless he is injured in a rigorous season at Bayern Munich, Neuer won't be challenged by second-choice Tim Wiese, who is five years older and has only four caps to his name. The 22-year-old Ron-Robert Zieler of Hanover is currently Germany's future prospect, but remains untested on an international stage.

Defense: Philipp Lahm (captain), Holger Badstuber, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng

The back line has been the most unstable element in the team in recent years. Only captain Philipp Lahm - with 82 caps to his name - looks like he has a solid position, but he is most effective on one of the wings. The all-important central spots are up for grabs. We've gone for Holger Badstuber and Mats Hummels in those two roles, on trust that their seasons at Bayern Munich and Dortmund respectively will see them make good on their potential.

Rival claimants include Mertesacker, the veteran who just moved to Arsenal, and Benedikt Höwedes, but neither of those offer the combination of solidity and dynamism that Badstuber and Hummels could provide. On top of that, Hummels is adept at covering the defensive midfield.

As for the wing that Lahm doesn't take, there's currently a tussle between Jerome Boateng and Höwedes, and while Löw has preferred Höwedes in recent games, Boateng is the tried and tested option with the greater experience.

Defensive midfield: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sven Bender

Making a rather extreme balance between youth and experience, we've gone for the old standby Bastian Schweinsteiger alongside newcomer Sven Bender to hold things together in midfield. It's certainly going out on a limb to pick one of the precocious young Bender brothers, who have one international cap between them.

Sami Khedira is still a formidable threat, but he's also struggling to make the Real Madrid side. Sven Bender's debut was an inauspicious defeat to Australia back in March, but he has established himself in the role at Dortmund. If he has a successful season, he will be impossible to ignore for Löw.

Attacking midfield: Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Andre Schürrle

There's a glut of young talent in the attacking half of the pitch. But despite all the recent hype around Mario Götze, Mesut Özil still dominates the space behind the striker for Germany - as his imperious game against Austria showed.

That's a problem for Götze, because Löw has gone on record as saying he doesn't want to waste the young Dortmunder on the flanks. ("For me, Götze is someone who belongs in the center," the coach said recently.) That means Götze, who will be just out of his teens when Euro 2012 starts, is likely to be an impact substitute next year - but what an impact he could have.

Leverkusen's 20-year-old Andre Schürrle has only played seven times for Germany so far, but has scarily already scored four times. If Schürrle were set to work on the left, Bayern's offensive all-rounder Thomas Müller - the joint top scorer in South Africa - would provide a harrowing aerial presence from the right.

Striker: Lukas Podolski

Only a fool would bet against the unnatural Miroslav Klose knocking in another five for Germany at Euro 2012 - possibly overtaking Germany's all-time top scorer Gerd Müller in the process. But at some point, surely, his iron grasp on Germany's goal-poacher-in-chief position will slip. At least that's what Mario Gomez might be hoping.

Either way, we've decided to pass over those two to plump for Prince Poldi, if only because Löw apparently has a soft spot for the Cologne hero. His erratic displays in the Bundesliga always seem to be balanced by strong showings in international tournaments, and being only 26, he should still have the form next year.

In many ways, Podolski, the senior striker with the positional sense to make up for his increasing lack of pace, looks like Klose's natural heir.

Author: Ben Knight
Editor: Martin Kuebler