GERMANS HIT A WINNING STREAK

Only rated fifth in the world by FIFA but the team everyone will fear, who as ever seem to be running into form with seven wins in eight outings including a 4-0 trouncing of Switzerland. Despite their record in the World Cup and as three times winners they have not reached the quarter finals since 1996. They are not at home but playing in Austria and Switzerland is the next best thing and they can count on solid support in the stadia.

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has been showing vibrant end of season form. Bayern Munich’s serial striker Miroslav Klose was the best goalscorer at the last World Cup. There is a mix of experience with Werder Breme’s Torsten Frings or Leverkusen’s Bernd Schneider as well as talent players such as Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski who scored four goals against Saint-Marin and Stuttgart’s striker Mario Gomez just behind Luca Toni as top goal scorer in the Bundesliga.

The manager is Joachim Low, the former coach of Stuttgart and Fenerbahce, a good tactician. They want to win. They may do. They start against Poland who may be a surprise package who could test them early on.