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International Friendly

Nov 16, 2022 at 5pm UK

Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Stadium

Oman
0 - 1
Germany

FT(HT: 0-0)

Fullkrug (80')

Preview: Oman vs. Germany - prediction, team news, lineups

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 14 November 2022

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's International Friendlies clash between Oman and Germany, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Germany's final match ahead of the 2022 World Cup will see them take on Oman in an international friendly on Wednesday evening.

Hansi Flick's side are building towards their tournament opener against Japan on November 23, while they will also take on Spain and Costa Rica in the group stage of the competition.

Match preview

Oman coach Branko Ivankovic on January 27, 2022 © Reuters

Oman have never qualified for the finals of a World Cup, so it was not a surprise when they failed to progress to the 2022 tournament, which is due to officially get underway on Sunday.

The Reds finished fourth in their Group B qualification section, one point behind third-place Australia, so they can certainly take encouragement from their campaign, even if it did not bring the desired outcome.

Oman won four, drew two and lost four of their 10 qualification fixtures in Group B, which included a 2-0 victory over China in their last competitive match back in March.

Branko Ivankovic's side have played four friendlies since then, beating Nepal and Iraq, in addition to drawing with New Zealand and losing 1-0 to Jordan last time out.

Oman have four friendlies before the end of the year, following this game with fixtures against Belarus and Syria (twice), before taking part in the Gulf Cup of Nations at the start of 2023.

Ilkay Gundogan celebrates scoring for Germany against England on September 26, 2022 © Reuters

Germany, meanwhile, will begin their World Cup campaign against Japan on November 23 before also taking on Spain and Costa Rica in the group stage of the competition.

Flick's side played out a 3-3 draw with England in their last match at the end of September, with the result seeing them finish third in the UEFA Nations League section, picking up just seven points from six matches.

Germany have only actually won of their last seven matches in all competitions, which is hardly ideal form heading into the World Cup, with the national team drawing too many games of late.

It would be a shock if DFB-Team were unable to advance through the group stage of the competition, but they are not considered to be one of the frontrunners to win the trophy at this stage.

Germany have won the World Cup on four previous occasions, including back in 2014, but they were eliminated in the group stage of the 2018 tournament, winning just one of their three matches.

Oman International Friendlies form:

Oman form (all competitions):

Germany International Friendlies form:

Germany form (all competitions):

Team News

Germany players pose for a team group photo before the match on September 26, 2022 © Reuters

Oman boss Ivankovic will want to fully utilise his squad for this match, with a number of players expected to be given opportunities to impress on Wednesday.

Abdulaziz Al-Muqbali has scored 30 times for his country and is expected to feature in the final third of the field.

Meanwhile, there are likely to be midfield spots for Arshad Al-Alawi and Harib Al-Saadi, with the latter one of the most experienced players in the squad, boasting 44 caps.

Germany, meanwhile, are expected to be without the services of Marc-Andre ter Stegen for this contest, with the Barcelona goalkeeper said to be suffering with a stomach problem.

Head coach Flick will need to assess the fitness of his players before naming an XI for this game, and he will want to carefully manage his squad ahead of their World Cup opener.

A strong side is expected to take to the field for the first whistle, with Kai Havertz potentially leading the line, while Jamal Musiala's excellent form for Bayern Munich this season could earn him a spot in the XI.

Oman possible starting lineup:
Al-Rushaidi; Durbin, Al-Habsi, Al-Busaidi, Al-Harthi; Al-Khaldi, Al-Saadi, Al-Alawi, Al-Yahyaei; Al-Hajri, Al-Muqbali

Germany possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Kehrer, Rudiger, Sule, Raum; Kimmich, Gundogan; Gnabry, Musiala, Sane; Havertz

SM words green background

We say: Oman 0-3 Germany

Germany boss Flick's main focus for this match will be to get through it without suffering any injuries; he will also be looking for a positive result and performance, though, an we are expecting the European nation to record a comfortable victory on Wednesday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.