The Indian Colts will have their task cut out when they take on six-time champions Germany in the high-octane semi-final clash of the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2023 on Thursday, December 14, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
India prevailed over the Netherlands, another powerhouse in the hockey world, in the quarterfinal in a spectacular 4-3 win after trailing 0-2 in the first half.
Aditya Lalage and vice-captain Araijeet Singh Hundal scored two goals in as many minutes in the early stage of the third quarter. Sourabh Anand Khushwaha and Uttam Singh then added one each in the final 10 minutes to once again overcome the Dutch lead.
Germany defeated Argentina 2-1 in another quarterfinal with goals from Montgelas Hugo Von and Jakob Brilla setting up the tone.
The two teams will once again face off in a semi-final of a major tournament. The Germans outwitted India in the semi-final of the Sultan of Johor Cup 6-3 to crush hopes of defending their title. It was again Germany who stopped India's terrific run in the 2019 Men's Junior World Cup semi-final with the scoreline of 4-2.
'Revenge' is the word on the mind of Indian skipper Uttam Singh, who was part of the squad in the previous World Cup edition. Only time can present the real picture of which side makes it to the final, but for now, let's take a look at some important details regarding the India vs Germany semi-final match.
India vs Germany: Match Details
Match: India men's jr vs Germany men's jr semi-final
Date & Time: December 14, 3:30 pm IST
Venue: National Hockey Stadium, Kuala Lumpur
India vs Germany Head-to-Head in Junior matches
The history of the India vs Germany rivalry in junior men's hockey dates back to 1982 when the two sides played against each other for the first time in the second edition of the Men's Junior World Cup.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw in Kuala Lumpur, but since then the two sides have met on 12 more occasions to determine a result. India and Germany have got the better of each other six times, with Germany having the last laugh in the semi-final of the Sultan of Johor Cup 2023 in Malaysia with a thumping 6-3 victory.
Total Matches: 13
India wins: 06
Germany wins: 06
Draws: 01
India vs Germany Squads
India
Uttam Singh, Aditya Lalage, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Sukhvinder, Sudeep Chirmako, Boby Singh Dhami, Vishnukant Singh, Poovanna C B, Rajinder Singh, Amandeep, Aditya Singh, Shardanand Tiwari, Amandeep Lakra, Rohit, Sunil Jojo, Amir Ali, Mohit HS, Ranvijay Singh Yadav
Germany
Jan Cordes, Luis Hoechemer, Montgelas Hugo Von, Peer Hinrichs, Nikas Berendts, Antheus Barry, Florian Sperling, Matteo Poljaric, Jakob Brilla, Michel Struthoff, Joshua Onyekwue Nnaji, Ben Hasbach, Christian Franz, Tom Schmidt-Didlaukies, Liam Holdermann, Aron Flatten, Paul Glander, Florian Simon
India vs Germany Probable XI
India XI
Araijeet Singh Hundal, Rajinder Singh, Sukhvinder, Rohit, Aditya Lalage, Mohith HS (GK), Uttam Singh (C), Vishnukant Singh, Boby Singh, Amir Ali, Amandeep Lakra
Germany XI
Jan Cordes, Luis Hoechemer, Montgelas Hugo Von, Peer Hinrichs, Nikas Berendts, Antheus Barry, Florian Sperling, Matteo Poljaric (C), Jakob Brilla, Michel Struthoff, Joshua Onyekwue Nnaji (GK)
India vs Germany Prediction
Germany are a powerhouse in the world of hockey regardless of men or women or junior teams. One cannot take them as an easy opponent and will need to do a lot of homework to keep them at bay.
Nevertheless, India have also shown why they are a threat to the Germans with their intensity in the attack, and especially their ability to bounce back from precarious situations.
Prediction: India are expected to win.
India vs Germany Live Telecast Details, Channel List & Live Score Details
TV: Sports18
Live Streaming: JioCinema