Euro 2012 Team Guide: Germany

Road to Euro 2012

You could barely devise a more perfect qualifying campaign than the one enjoyed by Germany ahead of Euro 2012. They won ten out of ten, and finished 13 points clear of the second placed team in their group, Turkey. The closest that the Germans came to not winning was away in Austria, but Mario Gomez came up trumps for them that night, and Germany never looked back. In the four games after that Austria win, they scored fifteen goals, and continued to be the great entertainers. There are a couple of qualifying statistics that are worth looking at with regard to Jogi Low's team. Both teams scored in each of their last five qualifiers, and nine of Germany's ten games in qualifying featured over 2.5 goals, with six having over 3.5. Their recent 5-3 defeat by Switzerland, admittedly with a weakened team, reinforces the impression that there will always be goals in games featuring Germany. For all of their forward power, there's a vulnerability about them which makes me hesitate recommending them at 4.216/5 to win the tournament, but they'll be the most entertaining team to watch in Poland and the Ukraine.

The Manager

Joachim Low is one of those rare coaches whose international achievements far outstrip anything he has managed at club level. He led Stuttgart to the final of the 1998 Cup Winners Cup Final, won the German Cup with the same team, and managed an Austrian title with Tirol Innsbruck, but this is a man who has led his country to two consecutive major semi finals (three, if you subscribe to the theory that he, rather than Jurgen Klinsmann, was the 2006 mastermind) falling short at the World Cup, and losing in the final of the last European Championship. There's a feeling in Germany that this is their time, and that the young team which has been carefully cultivated by Low is ready to deliver a title. One of the most refreshing things about the German coach is his attitude and style. He has a personal arrogance, but his teams play with real verve, and as a manager he will never die wondering. He has a lot of talent to choose from, and the pressure is on to make the right decisions in some key areas, but if Germany fail at Euro 2012, then I don't think that it will be because of their coach.

The Star

Given the ability of German players to throw club form to one side when they reach a big tournament, Thomas Mueller has to be looked at with a close eye at Euro 2012. I have to be honest here and admit that Mueller is exactly my kind of player. Tall, elegant and a great runner, and blessed with the ability to make a series of correct decisions throughout a game. He may have scored in the Champions League final, but didn't have the best game, and that performance summed up his season: occasionally effective, too often peripheral. I wonder, though, if Mueller will end up fitting the mould of several key squad members of recent years, and perform brilliantly once again in tournament football. Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose have proved over the years that it's possible to save your best for the summer and I just have a hunch the Mueller too will end up being that kind of player too. He may seem a surprising choice as my German star, and I'm probably guilty of favouritism here, but Mueller is the man, and I'll be backing him at 38.037/1 to be the tournament top scorer. It's a price based on him scoring just seven league goals last season, but I can't let the World Cup golden boot winner go off as big as that, and remember that he scored four goals in his last four domestic games of 2011/12. He may be hitting form at just the right time.

The Rock

Mats Hummels has to be be of the most improved players in Europe in the last four years, so much so that he's the obvious choice as the rock on which an extremely talented team relies. Hummels was rejected by Bayern Munich four years ago, but since his conversion from midfielder to central defender he has become one of the key men in Dortmund's back to back title winning teams and also one of the best players in the national side. He is still at the start of his international career, but he and Holger Badstuber already look an excellent central defensive pairing.

The Youngster

Germany have so many high class young players that this category is almost impossible to decide. They are, for example, the opposite of Russia in that regard. With hugely honourable mentions to the Borussia Moenchengladbach pair of Marc Andre ter Stegen (the best goalkeeper that I've seen this season by a MILE) and Marco Reus, I have to go with Mario Gotze. The Dortmund man may only feature as a substitute, and hasn't looked as fit as he might in a couple of recent matches, but when Mesut Ozil tires (and when does Ozil ever play ninety minutes for Real Madrid?) then Gotze will be able to come on and influence the game significantly.

The Bet

I don't like lazy conclusions, and think that they often lead to some really stupid punting, but the strong feeling after the World Cup in South Africa was that this young German side would train on and be even better at Euro 2012. Two years on, it still seems like a fair conclusion. This is a squad with talent oozing out of it, and Joachim Low is able to leave out some fabulous players. I see Germany in the final, where they could well face France in a repeat of that Bremen game. Germany are a fair price to reach the final at 2.526/4, and I'll also look to get involved in backing overs in running in their matches. They rarely disappoint on that score.