SPORT1 broadcasts live from Latvia / Top formation: Draisaitl storms with Tobias Rieder and Patrick Reimer
Less than 24 hours after the 4-3 win in the first comparison with Latvia, this Saturday we face the same opponent again in Riga (from 16 p.m., live on SPORT1). As announced, national coach Marco Sturm will change his squad in some positions and use the players who were rested in the first game.
The forward line with Marcus Kink, Simon Danner and Niko Krämmer is taking a break, as are the defenders Benedikt Brückner and Benedikt Kohl. Should Denis Reul not be able to play after suffering a horse kiss yesterday, Kohl would move back into the squad and take his place next to Niki Goc. “We’ll decide that at short notice,” said Sturm after a short morning session. The two Düsseldorfers Marcel Brandt and Bernhard Ebner complete the defense.
It is also certain that keeper Mathias Niederberger will replace Timo Pielmeier between the posts and Andreas Jenike will sit on the bench. With the change in offensive positions, the forward lines also change. Captain Marcel Goc storms with Leonhard Pföderl and Marcel Noebels. Leon Draisaitl forms a line with Tobias Rieder and Patrick Reimer, who were paused yesterday. The remaining formations remain unchanged.
The rotation makes perfect sense. Sturm would like to test different variants in order to achieve the best possible penetration. In addition to the five-on-five game, the national coach should also keep an eye on the personnel of the special teams. “I believe that Latvia will step up their game today after yesterday's defeat against us. The boys have to be ready from the first minute,” said Sturm.
A very short night lies ahead for the national team. The team heads to the airport at four in the morning to begin their journey back home. After almost three days off, it's time to get down to business. It meets on Wednesday DEB-Tross in Oberhausen, where the last two games before the World Cup against Belarus (live on SPORT1) are scheduled for the last weekend in April. The dress rehearsal will then take place the following week in Basel against Switzerland. From there we go directly to St. Petersburg.
This is how they want to play: Niederberger (Jenike) – M. Müller, Ankert; Gogulla, Schütz, Macek – Braun, Akdag; Noebels, Goc, Pföderl – N. Goc, Reul; Ullmann, Hager, Flaake – Ebner, Brandt; Rieder, Draisaitl, Reimer.