Euro 2008 Preview: Austria - Germany

The final round of matches in Group B get underway on Monday with co-hosts Austria needing a win against Germany to have any chance of making it to the next round.  The Germans on the other hand need a morale boosting win themselves to make up for the disappointing to loss to Croatia last time out.

Memories Of Cordoba

The odds are stacked against tournament co-hosts Austria as they take on neighbours and rivals Germany in their final Group B fixture on Monday.  The will however be looking to their most famous win of all time to inspire them.

Back during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, the Austrians beat Germany 3-2 to eliminate their more prestigious neighbours from the competition.  That win remains the countries most famous of victories over Germany.

30 years have passed since then and Austria once again find themselves in a position to ruin the tournament of their rivals.

Austrian national team trainer Josef Hickersberger played in the match in Cordoba but he does not want to draw any comparisons with that historic victory.

"Playing against Germany for me is something special" he said.  "What happened 30 years ago doesn't play any special role for me.  We won in Cordoba but that is as far as it goes."

Austria are - ranked 92nd in the Fifa World Rankings, below the likes of Qatar, Bahrain and Zimbabwe – have surprised many onlookers with their performances so far during Euro 2008, going down to an unfortunate 1-0 defeat against Croatia before drawing 1-1 with Poland.

Those results however mean that they will need to beat Germany to have any chance of making it through to the next round and, while Hickersberger is not ruling it out; he admits the odds are against them.

"We hope to show some of the form that we had against Poland in this game, though we are playing against great opponents" he said.

"We need a bit of luck in this game.  We need to adapt to the way Germany are playing.  It's not like we can play our own game.

"Germany will take us seriously and they will be putting a great effort into it.  We have the necessary passion in our game now - I am simply looking forward to it and hope it will be an exciting game until the very end."

"We need a second Cordoba," captain Andreas Ivanschitz said. "That's a piece of history in Austrian football. We are about to rewrite that history."

The Heat Is On

The heat is really on pre-tournament favourites after their loss to Croatia.  Many people are starting to wonder if the German side were not over-hyped going into the tournament.  A good performance is therefore required to restore confidence and secure a place in the knock-out stages.

A loss to Austria is unthinkable, or could the ghost of Cordoba be about to revisit the German camp?

German trainer Joachim Löw has ruled out a "second Cordoba," although his team finds itself under tremendous pressure. 

"Our team will show a different face, I can promise you" Löw said.  "It's a setback, but it won't throw us off.  We will not be going out of the tournament.  We won't be thinking of what might happen.  They will be playing for their lives but we'll get the point we need and we'll reach the quarterfinals."

The pressure is very much on Germany, but that is something they relish according to centre back Christophe Metzelder.  "I'm looking very much forward to this game, 50,000 people in the stadium, what else could you want?" he said

"With all due respect, if we regain our own strengths, we will win.  As the German national team, we always have pressure and we can handle it."

Team general manager, Oliver Bierhoff, was rather blunter in his prediction saying “There can be only one winner and that will be Germany.  I am not worried; maybe we need pressure to show our best."

FORM GUIDE

Austria

06/02/08  Austria 0 Germany 3 (Friendly)

26/03/08  Austria 3 Netherlands 4 (Friendly)

27/05/08  Austria 1 Nigeria 1 (Friendly)

30/05/08  Austria 5 Malta 1 (Friendly)

08/06/08  Austria 0 Croatia 1(Euro 2008)

12/06/08  Austria 1 Poland 1 (Euro 2008)

Germany

06/02/08  Austria 0 Germany 3  (Friendly)

26/03/08  Switzerland 0 Germany 4 (Friendly)

27/05/08  Germany 2 Belarus 2  (Friendly)

31/05/08  Germany 2 Serbia 1 (Friendly)

08/06/08  Germany 2 Poland (Euro 2008)

12/08/08  Germany 1 Croatia 2 (Euro 2008)  

TEAM NEWS

Austria

Austria will miss suspended central defender Sebastian Proedl. He is likely to be replaced by Martin Hiden, who will play his 50th international for Austria.

Apart from that, trainer Hickersberger is likely to rely upon the core of players who have served him so well thus far.

Predicted Line-Up: Macho, Stranzl, Pogatetz, Hiden, Garics, Leitgeb, Aufhauser, Ivanschitz, Űmit, Harnik, Linz

Germany

Germany have been boosted ahead of the crucial Group B match against Austria with the news that Lukas Podolski and Philipp Lahm will be fit to start.  Podolski damaged an ankle in Thursday's 2-1 defeat to Croatia, while Lahm hurt his calf, but both will be available for a match Germany must not lose.  

However, left-back Marcell Jansen looks set to miss out with a shoulder injury as Germany aim for the quarter-finals.  Bastian Schweinsteiger will be absent following his red card against Croatia.

Lukas Podolski, scorer of all three German goals so far, has overcome an ankle injury and will play. He is likely to shift up to attack alongside Miroslav Klose, with Mario Gomez losing his place after two unconvincing displays.

Clemens Fritz should drop back from midfield to right-back to cover the absence of Jansen, with Philipp Lahm moving over to the left. Thomas Hitzlsperger and Tim Borowski could then come into midfield to give the side more creativity.

Predicted Line-Up: Lehmann, Lahm, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Fritz, Frings, Ballack,  Hitzlsperger, Borowski, Podolski, Klose

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Austria- Andreas Ivanschitz

If Austria are to have a chance of a shock against Germany, then playmaker Andreas Ivanschitz is going to have to be on top form.  A re-run of the ‘miracle of Cordoba will only be possible if the whole Austrian team play to their full potential.  Ivanschitz will be looked to for inspiration as the cp-hosts look to the spirit of 1978 to see them through.  

Germany- Michael Ballack

With a few of the German players under-performing during the first two group games, captain Michael Ballack has been leading by example and is showing just the kind of top form that Chelsea fans were enjoying in the latter part of the Premiership season.  Watch Ballack to take the game by the scruff of the neck and propel Germany into the knock-out stages.

PREDICTION

Much as Austria will be dreaming of a repeat of Cordoba 1978, Germany should up their game enough to see them off.  The defeat to Croatia highlighted the fact that Germany as one of the tournament favourites will not have things all their own way during the finals, and will have to use all of their tournament experience if they are to ultimately triumph. 

Expect to see a reaction from Germany.  It will be hard-fought as Austria cling to their own hopes, but I believe Jogi Löw’s side will be celebrating come the end of Monday.

Austria 1-2 Germany

Mathew Burt