Germany have a complex about facing Italy

I wrote the last time that I had been impressed by both Germany and Portugal and that I expected both teams to reach the semi-final and could also progress to the final. Nothing has changed for me here, but often in the course of a tournament teams overcome their problems and become stronger.

That’s why I see Italy, facing Germany, as certainly being in a position to beat my personal favourites in the semi-finals.

The German players and even the German fans had hoped England would be the semi-final opponents because they have nearly always beaten England in major tournaments. Against Italy on the other hand, Germany have a complex, having never beaten them in a major tournament. Germany still recall the 2-0 extra-time defeat to Italy in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup.

What Italy have going for them is a new playing style under coach Cesare Prandelli, who wants his side, untypically for Italy, playing attacking football. The strike duo of Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano is at the moment not dangerous enough in front of goal and Italy still rely on keeper Gianluigi Buffon. I have seldom seen such a commanding keeper.

And then much depends on playmaker Andrea Pirlo. They way he chipped the ball over keeper Joe Hart in the penalty shoot-out against harmless England will go down in European Championship history. After he failed to play at his best following injury at the 2010 World Cup, he is now bang on form at the age of 33.

But we should not forget that Italy have many players around 30, and Germany around 23 — one of the oldest teams playing against the youngest.

Germany need fear no team. Coach Joachim Loew demonstrated in the 4-2 defeat of Greece that he could exchange attacking players Mario Gomez, Thomas Mueller and Lukas Podolski for Miroslav Klose, Marco Reus and Andre Schuerrle without much ado. The fast and skliful Reus in particular, who is moving from Borussia Moenchengladbach to champions Borussia Dortmund, has a bright future.

Loew is spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding whether to change his side again. I am not necessarily one for making big team changes, but so far everything Loew has done has seemed to work.

If I say Germany will reach the final, it is not because I am German but I am convinced of the team’s qualities. There remain only some lingering doubts, simply because the opponents are Italy.

In Munich there will be big celebrations come what may. The city of my birth and where I enjoyed the best of my playing career is also known as Italy’s most northern city. If we Germans aren’t able to celebrate, then the streets will be full of triumphant Italians.

— DPA

The writer is a World Cup-winning former captain and coach of Germany