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Germany's EURO 2016 aims

March 23, 2015

Ahead of Germany's friendly against the Socceroos on Wednesday, the German team is already looking ahead to a bigger task: getting back on course in their EURO 2016 qualifying campaign.

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Oliver Bierhoff at a press conference in Frankfurt
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/L. Schulze

Oliver Bierhoff says Germany's aim must still be to come first in their qualifying group for EURO 2016, despite the team's average start to their campaign. Germany's commercial manager was speaking at a press conference in Frankfurt on Monday, ahead of the team's friendly against Asian Cup winners Australia in Kaiserslautern on Wednesday.

In qualifying for next year's tournament in France, Germany are currently three points behind Poland in Group D, and are in second position on goal difference. So far the team has played four of their ten qualifying games for the European Championships, dropping points against Ireland and Poland.

"Systemic changes take time to learn at training," Bierhoff said. "With the national team it is particularly difficult to focus the players on their roles in such a short time."

Although Bierhoff wasn't prepared to elaborate exactly on what the team was currently adjusting, German coach Joachim Löw - who recently had his contract extended - has already said that he wants to make his team more flexible, and play with only three defenders.

"We don't have a classic striker any more, and we have some problems on the wings which we have to fix," Bierhoff was prepared to admit to gathered journalists on Monday.

In team news ahead of the Germany v Australia clash, the Socceroos have confirmed that striker Tim Cahill will miss the match due to an achilles problem. German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will miss Monday training with the DFB team, but is expected to join the squad late on Monday night.

On Sunday March 29, Germany will travel to Tbilisi to play Georgia in their first EURO 2016 qualifier of the year.

al/apc (dpa, SID)