Euro 2012 Preview Germany

29/05/2012

Germany are the second favourites with most bookies to win Euro 2012. Bet365, Boylesports, Paddy Power all have the Germans at 3/1 to lift the highly sought after trophy on July 1.

Germany had the most successful qualifying campaign going into the competition. Winning 10 from 10 matches in a tough qualification group that included Eden Hazard’s Belgium, Austria and Turkey.

National coach Joachim Low has been a revelation in charge of the side. Leading Germany to runners up at Euro 2008 and an impressive third at the last World Cup in South Africa. At the same time he revolutionised the Germans’ style of play.

While old Germany was stolidity, strength, and power. New Germany, under Low, is a free flowing counter attacking outfit playing the most modern brand of creative football.

The counterpoint to this attacking flair is a weakness in defence. A weakness German sides of old would not have tolerated. Low didn’t have a stable back four in qualification despite the glowing record. Per Mertesacker is coming off a disappointing season at Arsenal and Mats Hummels of Dortmund and Bayern's Holger Badstuber are inexperienced in international competition.

Much of the squad is made up of players from Germany’s leading club Bayern Munich. How much of a hangover these players will suffer from failing to win the Champions League final remains to be seen.

But German professionals are known to rise to the occasion.

Another interesting side issue arising from that final; if a German side can lose a penalty shoot out in such a major final - against an English side of all teams - perhaps their dominance of the ultimate method of deciding games is coming to a close. We shall see.

It is in midfield that the Germans have a truly astonishing line up of talent; Sami Khedira, Mario Gotze, Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller, Lukas Podolski are all exceptional players and will cause Low more than one selection headache in the weeks ahead.

The new fun, creative, attractive German side has been a huge success at recent tournaments. But it still has to do the thing the old boring Germans did so well; win a Major tournament. Perhaps it is time to right that wrong.

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