Official Euro 2012 - Germany

Germany have not won a trophy since the European Championships in 1996 but many in the country believe Euro 2012 represents their best chance of doing so.

There is a strong-held belief that Joachim Low’s team have closed the gap on reigning champions Spain and that the time may be ripe to end the dominance of La Furia Roja.

Qualification - JOURNEY TO POLAND/UKRAINE

In a display of ruthless efficiency that has become synonymous with the German football team, the three-time European Champions glided through their qualification period, wining all 10 games with relative ease. Turkey and Belgium were identified as potential pitfalls, but Germany cruised past them in style, scoring 34 goals and conceding only seven.

A formidable outfit in their last World Cup outing, bested only by eventual winners Spain in the semi-finals, Joachim Low has now amassed an even stronger side. Question marks over defensive pairing have been answered and, from an attacking perspective, veteran Miroslav Klose looks as potent as ever, offering a stunning return of nine goals in six qualifying games he played. A fearsome midfield comprises talents such as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil, not to mention youngsters Toni Kroos and the prodigious Mario Gotze, whom Löw is undoubtedly eager to unleash.

Although in a very difficult group alongside the Netherlands, Denmark and Portugal, the opposition will be of little consequence to a German side that boasts an incomparable history in the competition. It was 1996 when they last emerged victorious in the European Championship and 16 years without a trophy is , by German reckoning, for too long. Along with Spain they’ll be many bookies’ tip to take silverware home this summer.

In a mouth-watering Group B, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Portugal were all drawn together. It is easily the toughest Group of Euros this term with Germany, Holland and Portugal bringing squads capable of competing for glory. Portugal will kick off their tournament on the second day (9th June) when they will face the last term's Finalists Germany. The complete schedule for group stages could be found here.

The Coach: Joachim Low

In his six years in charge, Low has not only proved immensely successful, leading Germany to the runners-up spot at Euro 2008 and a highly-worthy third-place at the last World Cup, but he had also done what no one thought possible - bringing about nothing less than a revolution in the playing style of the Nationalmannschaft.

Whereas the Germans used to be synonymous with power, endurance and discipline, Low has taken a completely new track, insisting on a spectacular mix of technical mastery, good possession, creativity, risk-taking and movement. The Germany of 2012 are as spectacular as they are flexible, equally at home playing on the counter - as they did to great effect in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa - and relishing the chance to grasp the initiative and dictate terms.

Low has also proved that he is not afraid to make ruthless decisions. In 2010 he told Torsten Frings that he would not be going to the World Cup despite being a fixture in the team at the previous World Cup, while last year he phased out Michael Ballack. Low guided Germany to the final of Euro 2008 and the semi-finals of the last World Cup where they were beaten by Spain. He has lost just five competitive matches in charge of the national team.

The Squad

The Germans have a deep, versatile and gifted squad. Their defense is outstanding. Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer is among the worlds’s best goalkeepers. He will be fronted by the tournament’s best back four in Lahm, Hummels, Badstuber and whoever the other fullback will be, possibly Boateng.Euro 2012′s best defensive midfield will protect that group. Two of Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira will start. All three are excellent defenders and distributors and are dangerous going forward. The trio in attack likely will be Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski, though Kroos can also play there. They have a ton of depth behind that. Andre Schurrle and Marco Reus are both brilliant creative talent. Mario Gotze, a 19-year-old described as the next Messi, may struggle to even see the field. Coming off a hip injury, he has not played a full 90 minutes since November.

Striker is the only place the Germans underwhelm, and only slightly. It’s hard to quibble with Mario Gomez, a physical presence and top-class finisher who has scored about 80 goals for Bayern Munich the past two seasons. That said, he has games where he loses composure and becomes ineffective (see Champions League Final). With the old war horse MIroslav Klose and eight-goal scorer Cacau, Germany does not have much depth behind him. Should Gomez falter the next best option might be Lukas Podolski.

GOALKEEPERS

Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich): Became undisputed number one after a sensational 2010 World Cup. His move to Bayern in 2011, from Schalke 04, further cemented his place. Extremely fast, enjoys leaving his area to act as a defender. Enjoying a near-flawless opening half of current Bundesliga season, but more vulnerable in recent games.

Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen): Has fought off younger competition to remain the number two choice. Spectacular at times, Wiese, however, has a negative record when playing for Germany, having failed to win any of the six matches he has featured.

Ron-Robert Zieler (Hanover 96): Got the third spot ahead of talented Marc-andre ter Stegen after a solid season at Hanover 96 with whom he reached the Europa League quarter-finals. the 23-year-old old has, however, minimal experience with the antioanl side having won only a single cap.

DEFENDERS

Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich): Badstuber looks to have locked down his starting spot in Germany’s central defence. The left-footer, a product of the Bayern youth teams, is also dangerous up front venturing forward for set pieces. Suspended for Bayern’s Champions League final against Chelsea, he will be looking to make amends at the Euro.

Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich) : Has flourished in central defence after a hapless stint at Manchester City. Tall and powerful in the air, Boateng does not shy away from going forward at set piece.

Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich): Backbone of the German defence, he is a much more reserved captain than his predecessor Michael Ballack, but by far the most consistent defender of his generation in Germany. Can play either on left or on right and likes to try his luck with powerful shots if he finds the space.

Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke 04): One of a golden generation of young Germans who won the U21 European title in 2009 and made the leap to the senior team, Hoewedes quickly established a reputation as a hard-working centre back. His physical game is not without consequences -- is often ruled out with injuries.

Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund): After a sensational 2010-11 Bundesliga-winning season with Borussia Dortmund, Hummels won a starting spot in central defence. A modern-style player, Hummels is highly skilled and strong in the air, scinrg his first international goal with a header against Switzerland in May.

Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund): Another U21 European champion, Schmelzer was key in Borussia Dortmund’s 2011 Bundesliga title victory. Has a strong tackle and shot, but unlikely to win a starting spot.

Per Mertesacker (Arsenal): Once guaranteed a place at the heart of defence, Mertesacker looks less reliable after move to Arsenal from Werder Bremen. Has to fight for a starting place but sidelined with an ankle and foot injury since mid-February. His comeback against the Swiss on May 25 was marred by a string of errors.

MIDFIELDERS

Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen): Hugely talented and highly-skilled, has quickly established himself as a prospect although he has considerable competition in a crowded and talented Germany midfield. Versatile in his game.

Sami Khedira (Real Madrid): Has created a superb holding midfield partnership with Bastian Schweinsteiger. Ventures forward and has improved physically since joining Real Madrid two years ago.

Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich): Arguably the most versatile midfielder of his generation, Kroos can dictate pace and direction while slicing open defences with pin-point passing. Possess a lethal long-range shot.

Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich): Joint top scorer at the 2010 World Cup, has been an automatic starter for Bayern and Germany since. He can play in the centre, or on the right, but has had a less spectacular 2011-12 season.

Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid): Midfield maestro and another U21 European champion, Mesut Ozil became a household name after joining Khedira in move to Real Madrid. Flourished in Spain and Germany has come to rely on his creative spark. After losing with Real in the semi-finals of the Champions League to Bayern, will now unite with those opponents as team mates in a bid to lift the Euro trophy.

Marco Reus (Borussia Moenchengladbach): Fast and furious, Marco Reus has become a serious contender after scoring goal after goal in Borussia Moenchengladbach’s sensational season so far. He has yet to shine for Germany. Loew could also use the offensive midfielder as an out-and-out striker.

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich): A commanding presence in midfield, Schweinsteiger has been nicknamed the “brain” by coach Joachim Loew for his ability to orchestrate the team. Combined well with Khedira and has assumed more responsibility since exit of Michael Ballack.

Andre Schuerrle (Bayer Leverkusen): Speedy down the left and has an impressive scoring rate, Schuerrle can blitz past defenders. Looks, however, to have lost the battle for a starting position to Lukas Podolski.

Lukas Podolski (Cologne): Hugely experienced, Podolski enjoying his best personal season in Germany and was be rewarded with a move to the Premier League and Arsenal. Has a stunning scoring record for Germany and has always delivered.

Mario Goetze (Borussia Dortmund): Talented, skilled and creative, the teenager is arguably the most promising German prospect after helping Dortmund to the Bundesliga title at 18 last year. Relishes the big stage.

Ilkay Guendogan (Borussia Dortmund): Snatched one of the last available places on the squad after a superb second half of the season for his double winners Borussia Dortmund. Has developed into a skilled midfielder, capable of playing Low’s possession game as well as becoming a danger up front.

FORWARDS

Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich): After years of questions about his efficiency, Gomez has been scoring for both club and country since joining Bayern Munich in 2009. Strong in the air and blessed with a highly developed sense for goal, he has yet, however, to leave his mark at a major championship.

Miroslav Klose (Lazio): Goal-scoring machine for the last decade, Klose has reinvented himself since joining Lazio last year after losing a starting spot at Bayern Munich. Needs five more goals to equal Gerd Mueller’s all-time German record and has hinted he could play on until the 2014 World Cup.

The Mission

EA Sports Simulation predicts Germany will beat Netherlands to win Euro 2012.

After the Barcelona's tici-taca system, this is the most famous Formation. The 4-2-3-1 system is the modern tactic and was evolved primarily to compete against free flowing tici-taca.

You can find some nice readings on Gaurdian.co.uk and zonalmarking.net. But the one I found most convincing (the picture I have in mind) looks like this -

Defence

In defence, this system becomes more of a 4-4-1-1 or even a 4-4-2. The reasons for this are that

1) Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller drop back to help out their full-backs, thus creating two rigid lines of 4,

2) Mesut Ozil often pushes high up on the defence to try and win the ball back as quickly as possible. Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger act as two defensive midfielders normally would, squeezing the space between the lines and aiming to stop the opposition central/attacking midfielders playing.

Mats Hummels and Holger Badstuber/Per Mertesacker often sit deep and do not let their opponents play in behind them and this cleverly covers up Badstuber and Mertesacker’s lack of pace. Lahm and Boateng on the outside are two quick and solid defenders and so they rarely get beaten on the outside.

This system differs from their biggest rivals this summer in that the two wide forwards drop back and the central attacking midfielder pushes up, while for Spain the opposite is the case, as Xavi drops deep to help out Busquets and Alonso while whoever plays wide stays up the pitch to try to win the ball back quickly through fierce pressing. Spain also play with a high line while Germany prefer to sit back, soak up pressure and counter.

Attack

Germany’s transitional play (counterattacking) is superb. They attack with speed and in numbers, helped out by the great passing ability of Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger in midfield. Of course, the main skill of being a good counterattacking team is to have pace, and Germany have it in abundance. The two full-backs, Lahm and Boateng are very quick, as are the two wide forwards/wingers Podolski and Muller. Klose himself is no slouch either.

However, to suggest that Germany are purely a counterattacking side would not be wholly true. Not one of their six goals in the international break (3 vs Ukraine, 3 vs Holland) was scored from a counterattack. Under Jogi Löw, they have developed into a passing side and they can open up stubborn defences by passing through them. Their ability to keep possession and wait for the right moment to attack (like Spain, just quicker) is an underestimated asset. When Germany want (or usually need) to, they can also play direct football with the Starting XI, and the same cannot be said of Spain (unless they start with Torres or Llorente). Klose is a great header of the ball and in Muller, Podolski and Lahm, they have some great crossers too.

I agree that Germany may have been undone at the World Cup in South Africa because of their failure to keep possession against Spain and because their counterattacking style did not work in this type of match, but since then they have developed considerably and I am sure Löw has recognized all the mistakes he (and his team) made in 2010 and has worked hard on them since.

Alternate systems:

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the complete reading can be found here.

Looking forward to this

Looking forward to this

Don't get into any assumptions. I know what you were looking forward to

But I do not want to take away the charm of Portuguese thread. (although Germans are not even close to Portuguese in that department)

I want to keep this thread running for "Football Reasons."

Don't get into any assumptions. I know what you were looking forward to

But I do not want to take away the charm of Portuguese thread. (although Germans are not even close to Portuguese in that department)

I want to keep this thread running for "Football Reasons."

BOO! Hiss!!!

Ha ha

Good write up fyrefuze.

The Germans (only) weakness seemed to be when unlocking a stoical or negative defence which, with the 6 gls you pointed out, seemed to have been solved. I haven't seen them play since the World Cup, any ideas on how they actually achieve this? In terms of tactics and how players play?

I know their main counter attacking threat which sees a bulk of players shift right, attack quickly and leave space on the left but want to know more about how they've developed from this. It was almost like the World Cup came too quickly and they just had the one developed plan, I'm sure that'll be different this time around.

I'm tipping Podolski to win the Golden Boot, always enjoy watching him play for Germany and has a great record for them.

BOO! Hiss!!!

Ha ha

Good write up fyrefuze.

The Germans (only) weakness seemed to be when unlocking a stoical or negative defence which, with the 6 gls you pointed out, seemed to have been solved. I haven't seen them play since the World Cup, any ideas on how they actually achieve this? In terms of tactics and how players play?

I know their main counter attacking threat which sees a bulk of players shift right, attack quickly and leave space on the left but want to know more about how they've developed from this. It was almost like the World Cup came too quickly and they just had the one developed plan, I'm sure that'll be different this time around.

They don't defend as 2 banks of 4 anymore and stand off the opposition. They tend to press a lot more now and can keep this up for the 90 minutes. Instead of playing counter attacking football like they did in WC 2010 they tend to try and actually dominate games now. They work really hard and play really fast tempo when they don't have the ball.

They don't defend as 2 banks of 4 anymore and stand off the opposition. They tend to press a lot more now and can keep this up for the 90 minutes. Instead of playing counter attacking football like they did in WC 2010 they tend to try and actually dominate games now. They work really hard and play really fast tempo when they don't have the ball.

Yeah I saw that in the game yesterday, definitely more proactive in defence and look to move more to surround the ball.

One thing that stood out that they'll have to watch was when Schweinsteiger went to press the ball, it was played backwards and across him in to the centre, whereby Khedira also pressed and left a gaping hole infront of the CB's which Moutinho (I think) took up. His shot was lame but on another day, with a different player, that's a direct goal scoring opportunity very easily given away.

I also thought they looked a little static when the Portugese really got men behind the ball. Their lateral movement was fine but very little penetration up and down the pitch. Gomez only touched the ball 13 times before scoring and was staying high so it's no wonder he was going to be subbed for Klose who is better at dropping deeper, moving vertically and is a more intelligent player. It's probably why Ozil looked so moody when he came off, he found space by moving laterally but it never really shifted the defence - he needed Gomez to move a little more so that he could try and exploit gaps, must of been a pretty frustrating evening for the lad.

Hard to draw any conclusions about either team as they were both so obviously playing for a draw after the Danes pulled it out of the bag. Can't say I blame them.

A few things stood out for me.

1. There was virtually no space for the Germans to work in, the pitch looked quite small.

2. Gomez is a fox in the box but offers little else, what Klose offered the team in 2010 was movement and a high work rate which cleared space for people like Khedeira, Ozil, and Podolski and Mueller to work in.

3. Podolski over-complicates things and is sometimes too selfish. 3 Games in 2010 he was the opposite and set up a couple of cracking goals.

2. Yeah, completely agree about Klose. Not saying he'll do that now of course but they need that movement and work rate to make their tactical system really tick.

Pretty sure a certain Mr SFraser said the same about the 4231 he was developed in part influenced by Germany of 2010! Still very relevant.

2. Yeah, completely agree about Klose. Not saying he'll do that now of course but they need that movement and work rate to make their tactical system really tick.

Pretty sure a certain Mr SFraser said the same about the 4231 he was developed in part influenced by Germany of 2010! Still very relevant.

German are no good against defensive sides or sides who don't allow them to play. If they don't win the Euros this will be their downfall as everything they do relies on space and lots of workrate. Without the space they are just a physical side playing a technical game and they can't show their fitness and physical attributes. It requires them to tire the opponent.

And yeah SFraser did in his Meet The System thread

Very accurate description of the German team! Thank you for that

thanks koki.

wow I wrote smth up for the two teams in this group and both of them survived the famous 'Group of Death'. Midas touch isn't it?

Good work

An interesting article for those who are following the Economies.

An interesting article for those who are following the Economies.

As one of the Greek players said at the press conference: "Don't mix football and politics". And I'd like to add: "Don't mix politicans with people". Nobody here in Germany dislikes the Greek people and I don't think that the Greek people hate the Germans as such. There are just some politicians who we don't agree about. It's just terrible journalism to further dwell on that and fuel unjustified hatred. That's just my view on the article, I'm not criticising you for linking it here, fyrefuze

What's your opinion about the score tonight, anyway?

I'd say:

Greece - Germany 1-3

4' Reus

25' Klose

67' Gekas

72' Khedira

Surprised no one has mentioned the changes here, people are suggesting Low is resting players but I don't see it, I think Mueller and Podolski have been average and I think he prefers what Klose brings to the table in terms of movement and work-rate.

I also don't think hes resting players, the players he brought it are harder working and can play better in tight spaces. Schurrle and Reus will be better in less space than Podolski and Muller.

I also don't think hes resting players, the players he brought it are harder working and can play better in tight spaces

I concur, you would think according to ITV he was bringing in some scrubs to replace them.

I concur, you would think according to ITV he was bringing in some scrubs to replace them.

Clearly half of these pundits don't know ****. I mean its not arrogance at all, infact its a mark of respect to Greece that they've made these changes.

Definately a sign that Löw respected the Greeks! He changed his line-up to react to their defensive playing style. Err... look who's got 3 goal scorers right