Home > Football > Euro 2008: Can co-hosts Austria do the unthinkable and stop the German football machine in its tracks?
by BetOnEuro2008.com on 17 June 2008
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Following the controversial and unexpected results of the last matches, Germany, Poland and Austria can all still progress to the next round alongside Croatia, depending on tonight's results. Can co-hosts Austria produce a miraculous performance and pull off the greatest upset of Euro 2008 by defeating tournament favourites Germany and making the quarter-finals at their expense?
Poland v Croatia
Croatia have already qualified after their impressive 2-1 victory over Germany on Thursday. This means that only the Poles have everything to play for, in spite of the odds against them qualifying being overwhelming. For Poland to make the quarter-finals they will not only have to beat Croatia, but Germany must lose to Austria. Furthermore, Poland must defeat Croatia by at least a two-goal winning margin greater than the Austrians achieve.
Perhaps this is why Polish coach Leo Beenhakker was recently quoted as saying: "Maybe I can call my old friend Slaven Bilic (the Croatia coach) and ask him to play his mother-in-law as a striker against Poland. Apart from that, I can't do much more." To which Bilic replied: "Well, I'm divorced."
Polish squad: Unfortunately for Poland, they will have to achieve this mammoth task without midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski, and their captain and star striker Maciej Zurawski, who are both suffering from injuries. It is rumoured that Ebi Smolarek may be dropped after disappointing at the tournament so far.
Croatian squad: Being guaranteed top spot in Group B no matter the outcome of tonight's matches, Bilic will most likely rest many of his top players. Luka Modric, Darijo Srna, Robert Kovac, Ivica Olic and Josip Simunic all have one yellow card to their name and would be suspended for their next match were they to receive another tonight, so they will most likely all be rested.
Dario Simic is a definite starter and Ivan Klasnic should join him. Simic will pick up his 99th cap and become the only Croatian player to have appeared in all three of their European Championship campaigns.
Ones to watch: Roger Guerreiro (Poland) - Scoring the only goal for the Poles in Euro 2008 so far, Guerreiro will most likely be the leading player in their attack so look to him for any Polish inspiration tonight.
Dario Simic (Croatia) - As mentioned, Simic will receive his 99th cap. His significance on the pitch is recognised by the Croatians so expect to see him making a real impact on the match.
Prediction: In spite of many of their starting players likely to be rested, expect Croatia to put in a great performance yet again and aim for three out of three victories in their group matches. Bilic says: "This will not be a reserve side."
Poland, on the other hand, will be desperate for a win - and by a great margin. Given their recent performances compared to those of Croatia, this seems unlikely.
If the Poles do manage a win, it will most likely be by only a single goal. This in itself, however, will probably not happen and the Croats should manage at least a draw.
Austria v Germany
After their controversial draw with Poland in the last match, Austria will be out to produce what could be their greatest result so far. If they defeat the Germans tonight, then they will most likely qualify for the quarter-final stage and achieve what would be their best result in a European tournament so far. A draw will see the Germans through.
The Austrian supporters will be echoing the chant: "Immer weider Cordoba" (Cordoba again and again), in reference to the amazing 3-2 upset which Austria pulled off over the Germans in the 1978 World Cup. All of Austria will be dreaming for a similar result tonight in what would undoubtedly set the host nation alight with football frenzy.
Austrian squad: Coach Josef Hickersberger is much more grounded than his team's supporters. Having played in that famous 1978 match, he is keen to distance that achievement from tonight's encounter. "Too much has been said about Cordoba," Hickersberger said. "For me, history is repeating itself. In 1989, we played the German Democratic Republic in Vienna in a decisive qualifier for the 1990 World Cup and won. The names are different now, but we're looking forward to the match."
Ivica Vastic became the oldest goalscorer in the history of this tournament when he converted from the spot in injury time against Poland at the age of 38 years and 257 days. He and defender Martin Hiden will both win their 50th caps if they take the field tonight. Sebastian Prodl is suspended for this match following yellow cards in Austria's two previous matches.
Veteran midfielder Rene Aufhauser will mark Germany playmaker Michael Ballack. Aufhauser said: "Ballack is important for their game as he is the central player. He initiates many attacks, but we won't adapt our game because of him - we will rely on our own strengths."
German squad: In spite of everything that has been said about this match, Germany should be confident of their chances. This confidence has been boosted greatly by the news that striker Lukas Podolski and defender Philipp Lahm should both be fit to start after recovering from injuries suffered in the defeat to Croatia. Bastian Schweinsteiger is suspended for the game, while Ballack and Jens Lehmann will both be suspended if booked tonight.
Ones to watch: Andreas Ivanschitz and Roland Linz (Austria) - If the co-hosts are to pull off a miracle result, they will most likely have to rely on two of their star attacking players. Captian Ivanschitz (known as the Austrian David Beckham) has terrific vision and passing skills and can score goals. Linz is Austria's most capable striker and, if given the support of the full team, both players have what it takes to make the difference in this crucial match.
Lukas Podolski and Michael Ballack (Germany) - Podolski is currently the second leading scorer in Euro 2008, scoring all three of Germany's goals so far. He was also their leading scorer in the qualifiers, netting eight goals in nine appearances. Skipper Ballack is on top form and has provided inspiration for the rest of the German team. He will be looking to control the game from the midfield and will aim to push his team into the next round.
Prediction: In spite of the fairytale potential for Austria, expect Germany to comprehensively defeat their geographic neighbours. Germany are one of the most solid tournament teams in world football and were not labelled as favourites to win Euro 2008 for nothing. Austria will put up a valiant fight, but it will most likely be the Germans who triumph in confident fashion. Still, expect an exciting match - and an extremely loud Austrian crowd!
Visit http://www.betoneuro2008.com for the top Euro 2008 betting news, reviews and in-depth information.
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