Germany – Their turn to reign

By David, bettingexpert.com | Edited 21:35 13.06.2012

With three six finals played and half of them turning out successful Germany is by far the most successful country in the Euro championships. Only Spain currently outranks them in the national teams’ coefficient scores but at the moment they seem to have very few serious contenders in Europe.

Manager: Low

Probable Tactics: 4-2-3-1

Players To Watch: Muller

Current Probable Formation: Neuer, Lahm, Hummels, Badstuber, Boateng, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Ozil, Podolski, Gomez

Euro 2012 Odds Germany

On the right are odds for the game against Denmark.

Euro 2012 Germany Preview

Twice beaten in the semifinals of the last two World Cup editions by the eventual winners and losing finalists in the Euro 2008 tournament held in between. Not to mention their runner-up spot in the 2002 World Cup. All this adds up to five major tournament participations in the last ten years and no trophy to give credit for what have been, for most part, exceptional performances. Two finals and two semifinals in the end are worth very little and Low knows he will only be carried triumphantly if he brings home a trophy.

All the guns are loaded with an arsenal of players at his disposal that can help him slide right into the final. Where problems can surface is at the start of the tournament despite Germany being renowned for starting their campaign on the right footing. The reason should be the very similar style of play most of the Group B teams employ.

The test will not be lying so much in Portugal, which do have a problem with getting things straight from the outset. Denmark and Holland are very spirited sides though and their attacking game with three offensive midfielders fanning out in the opponents’ half of the pitch right behind a striker should cause problems to what seems to me like a suspect German defence. Therefore, the last group match against Denmark can easily turn into a showdown which determines who will be through to the quarter-finals.

Apart from the inclusion of Borussia Dortmund defender Hummels, one of the young prospects thrown into the fray by the German champions’ manager Klopp, the whole starting backline, including the goalkeeper, should be transplanted directly from Champions League finalists Bayern Munich into the heart of Low’s team. Hopes are that the familiarity with each other will help confirm Germany’s as one of the tightest defences. Howedes and Mertesacker can be alternative options. However, in the qualifying campaign they still conceded goals to teams far off their standards like Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium and Turkey, keeping only four clean sheets in ten matches.

For this reason Low will most probably opt for two solid defensive midfielders in front of his defence. In Schweinsteiger and Khedira he has two strong players who can still move the ball around with quality passing. In addition the Bayern man has often proven his abilities in finding the net too. Kroos is perhaps too offensive for a role in this department and should be considered only when either of the two is not available for selection.

After the magnificent season he has had with the Bavarians there are few doubts that Gomez will be pulling on a starter’s jersey every time in this Euro 2012. Klose, his main alternative as head striker, has suffered a bad injury in the months preceding the tournament and although he should be able to recover he should still be reserve. A very classy one, as he has managed to prove at Lazio this season despite homing in on a 34^th birthday.

The real selection headaches for Low might surface when he comes to select the trio that span out in front of Schweinsteiger and Khedira. Muller seems like a sure starter on the right-hand side and so does Ozil in the playmaker role. Podolski is the man to have featured as much as the other two in qualifiers his place may be challenged by the emerging talents of Gotze and Reus, both Dortmund-committed for the upcoming season. Not to mention Leverkusen’s trio of Schurrle, Lars Bender and Rolfes, and Stuttgart’s Cacau, who make for very good inclusions from the midfield upwards.

Germany 2012 – Success is what they need

After all is said and done it is trophies that count. It would be almost inexcusable for them to go on for another two years without winning after so much has been invested in German football in the past years. The youngsters have now matured and do fit perfectly in a team which brings together both the explosive talent of Reus, Gotze, Muller and Gomez, and the international experience of players like Lahm and Schweinsteiger.

Euro 2012 Germany Players To Watch

The list is long with the many new faces German football academies have been able to gift in the past seasons. Unfortunately we will not have the chance to enjoy most of them as Low seeks stability and a proven side to battle it out up until the final match in July. Sticking to the sure regulars therefore, I would have to go with Muller. He has proven himself a player eager to improve himself and when wearing the national team jersey he truly becomes vested with a particular aura that elevates him to world class status. The faith Low places in him surely plays an important part in this but the now mature talent has got lots of credit to be given too.

Euro 2012 Betting Germany

Given Germany’s consistency when it comes to performing in major football tournaments it would seem like quite a waste for them to throw away this chance of reclaiming their place on the throne after so many close misses. There are no major forces to battle against …apart from, of course, their big rivals Holland, which have been all too familiar with the close-miss syndrome themselves.

Verdict: Winners

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