When Germany kick off their Euro 2012 campaign in Lviv, they will be considered one of the favourites to lift the trophy. This is not an unfamiliar place for the Germans to be, having won the tournament three times before. However, the side will be among the favourites not only on the premise that they have a strong squad, but also on the basis that historically, they rarely underachieve. Joachim Low’s men come into Euro 2012 off the back of a defeat and a victory in their two warm-up games against Switzerland and Israel respectively. In dispatching Israel, Low sent out the team that is likely to start against Portugal, and in it featured the bookmakers’ favourite for the golden boot, Mario Gomez. The striker has just concluded his most prolific season in front of goal for Bayern Munich, in which he helped them to the Champions League final. Along with Gomez, many of the new faces that featured in Germany’s solid World Cup campaign in South Africa have been included, such as joint-Golden Boot winner Thomas Muller and Real Madrid duo Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. Germany’s success is certainly not set in stone however. Being placed in undoubtedly the toughest group in Euro 2012 with Portugal, Holland and Denmark could prove a stumbling block for the team ranked third by FIFA. Low has admitted that his side are not favourites for the tournament and they will need to hit the ground running against Portugal in order to ensure safe passage through to the knockout stages. One Man Team? There have been many instances in the past whereby a successful nation in either the World Cup or the European Championship can be epitomised by a solitary player; Diego Maradona in 1986, Roberto Baggio in 1994, and Brazil’s Ronaldo in 2002. This time, all eyes will be focused on the Brazilian’s Portuguese namesake, who will attempt to draw European attention without the shadow of Lionel Messi hanging over him. But for Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo stands out as the world’s best player. His goal tally at Real Madrid is 112 goals in 101 appearances, and in 2011/12 he became the first player ever to score 40 goals in two successive La Liga seasons. In truth however, Portugal are far from a one man team. Boasting the likes of Nani and Pepe, they have plenty of big game experience and in a tournament where they have historically come close to success (Portugal have never been eliminated at the group stage) could surprise many people by advancing past the ‘Group of Death’. Despite the star-studded cast, Portugal head to the Arena Lviv off the back of poor pre-tournament form. Just one goal in their previous three friendlies and an unravelling at the hands of Turkey last Saturday does not bode well for Paulo Bento’s side. Another weakness the former Sporting Lisbon boss may worry about is Portugal’s flimsy midfield. Lacking a real playmaker to supply Ronaldo up front could seriously harm any chances they have of clinching a knockout berth. Recent form Germany: Germany 1-2 France (29/02; Friendly) Switzerland 5–3 Germany (27/05; Friendly) Germany 2–0 Israel (31/05; Friendly) Portugal: Poland 0-0 Portugal (29/02 ; Friendly) Portugal 0-0 Macedonia (26/05; Friendly) Portugal 1–3 Turkey (02/06; Friendly) Players to watch Germany – Mesut Ozi l: At this stage two years ago, Mesut Ozil was still an unknown entity to much of the footballing community. Fast forward to the present and he is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting players to emerge from Europe. He lit up South Africa in 2010 with his supreme ability with the ball at his feet and in a similar role this year is expected to shine once again. Possibly one of the best link players between the midfield and attack in the world today, alongside club colleague Khedira, Ozil will look to control the pace of the game. If the game becomes an open encounter, Ozil has the capabilities to allow Germany to stand toe-to-toe with Portugal. Portugal – Nani : Aside from the obvious choice, Portugal present a different kind of threat in Nani. The wide man will kick off Euro 2012 having enjoyed a relatively successful season at Old Trafford where he recorded eight goals and ten assists for Manchester United. His game has been vastly modified over the past two years, from an inconsistent and sometimes frustrating figure to one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s main outlets. There is no doubt that on song he is a handful for any defender, and with a thunderbolt of a left foot, Nani will have to be closely guarded by the German defensive quartet to avoid any such threat to Manuel Neuer’s goal. If he can improve his consistency at international level, he could yet hold the key to Portugal surviving the group stages.   Match Prediction This will be only the fourth time that these teams have met in the European Championship, and it will no doubt be one of the more compelling games. Despite conceding five goals to Switzerland, the German defence, marshalled by captain Philipp Lahm, have solidity at the back and could nullify any threat Ronaldo poses. With Gomez up front, Germany have a genuine footballer with an eye for goal themselves, and with the running ability of Ozil and Khedira, plus the threat from poacher extraordinaire Miroslav Klose, who is expected to start on the bench, Low’s men have many tools that they are able to utilise. Portugal on the other hand were dismantled with relative ease by Turkey, but they will aim to keep the ball on the flanks where Nani and Ronaldo can do their damage. Expect an open game and one where Germany prove to be too strong. Germany 3–1 Portugal.
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Euro 2012 Group B: Germany v Portugal Match Preview