-
Recently Browsing 0 members
- No registered users viewing this page.
-
Latest Activity
-
- 2 replies
- 19331 views
-
- 7 replies
- 20872 views
-
- 59 replies
- 121163 views
-
New single & video - Tru Trilla "End the Day" ft Ruste Juxx & Julius Luciano of Shoe Gang
By urbanelite, in Music
- tru trilla
- ruste juxx
- (and 18 more)
- 0 replies
- 9847 views
-
- 0 replies
- 3201 views
-
Recommended Posts
Euro 2012: Germany v Italy
TEAM NEWS
Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger has been declared fit despite having treatment on a nagging ankle injury.
Joachim Loew may recall Mario Gomez, Lukas Podolski and Thomas Mueller after resting the trio against Greece.
Italy's Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele De Rossi and Ignazio Abate are all injury doubts for coach Cesare Prandelli.
He could again revert to a three-man backline if Abate is ruled out as his other right-back option Christian Maggio is suspended.
Italy team doctor Enrico Castellacci refused to be more specific about Abate, Chiellini and De Rossi's chances of making Thursday's game, other than reassuring fans: "We are doing everything possible."
Schweinsteiger said: "I am 100% fit and very much looking forward to the game.
"I have trained twice fully and I feel good."
Loew reiterated the importance of the influential Schweinsteiger to his team after the midfielder participated in a full training session with the rest of the squad on Monday despite his nagging ankle injury.
"He has fantastic stamina," said Loew. "We will get a good performance [from him].
"He is one of our leaders. He has matured tremendously over the last few years and I think in the first three group games he was very good."
Germany striker Miroslav Klose, 34, plays his club football in Rome for Serie A side Lazio.
The veteran forward explained on Tuesday how he plans to use his Italian to eavesdrop on the opposition and relay any of Italy's tactics to his German team-mates.
"I'll try to be a bit of a spy and pass on any bits I hear," he said.
"I should be able to pick up a few sentences and pass them on if they are helpful. I don't think it will be too loud [inside National Stadium] for that."
MATCH PREVIEW
Two themes have dominated the build-up to the second Euro 2012 semi-final - fear and revenge. Disadvantaged by two days fewer rest, not to mention playing extra-time, Italy have drawn strength from their remarkable record against the Germans, who have failed to beat the Azzurri in all seven previous encounters at major tournaments. Man-of-the-moment Andrea Pirlo says: "They are afraid of us - we are at the level of Spain".
Pirlo and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon are the only survivors from the Italian side that started the last competitive clash, which the Azzurri won 2-0 to reach the 2006 World Cup final.
Veteran Germany striker Miroslav Klose concedes the defeat in Dortmund was a "trauma" while captain Philipp Lahm admits "of course we still have that [match] in our minds". But coach Joachim Loew, who was assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann at the time, refuses to dwell on the past: "In football there is no such thing as revenge. The past plays absolutely no role for us or for our young players who may know things only from history."
If any squad should not feel burdened by previous failures it is this one - the youngest Germany have ever selected for a European Championship. Those young legs should ensure Loew's side do not run out of gas quite as dramatically as Italy's quarter-final victims England. But to avoid getting the run-around from the Azzurri, Germany will have to succeed where the Three Lions failed - and devise a plan to stop Pirlo. The 33-year-old playmaker completed 117 passes on Sunday, more than the combined tally of England's four starting midfielders.
Italy may be unbeaten in competitive games under Cesare Prandelli, but the Germans have won their last 15 meaningful matches. The Azzurri have not fallen behind at Euro 2012, but the last time Germany trailed in a European Championship match (including qualifying) was the final four years ago. Germany have the form, yet Italy the history - something has to give.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Germany
Italy
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Top Posters In This Topic
67
40
29
21
Popular Days
Jun 28
356
Jun 29
37
Jul 1
15
Jun 30
5
Top Posters In This Topic
O Fenomeno 67 posts
Benicio del Toney 40 posts
The Somalian 29 posts
Creed Diskenth 21 posts
Popular Days
Jun 28 2012
356 posts
Jun 29 2012
37 posts
Jul 1 2012
15 posts
Jun 30 2012
5 posts
Popular Posts
VicGrimes
VicGrimes
Fawk the haters!
Benicio del Toney
Everyone says Serie A is a graveyard but you see how strong a national team is when the league ain't flooded with foreign players. If England are gonna compete they need to change this asap.
O Fenomeno
Should be a more open game
two very good footballing sides
Germany will edge this one IMO (Di rest/Di Rotation against the Greeks/If they score 1st ,I feel Italy will get picked off)
Ozil vs Pirlo (WOW)
Has Don Pirlo got another masterclass in him (120 mins must of taken it's toll)?
Balo needs to be clinical tonight because like against England he will get chances
Prandelli will he go back to 3-5-2 or use the diamond (IMO that's best way of playing in football with a diamond)
Gomez the Golden boot is his to lose now
If Germany are chasing the game hopefully we get to see Gotze for more than 10 mins this time.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Somalian
Was watching a reply of juventus destruction of Roma this morning on espn just wow but I can see Germany winning
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Thizz
FORZA ITALIA
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mame Biram Diouf
Germany
If Reus starts next to Gomez they will win
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Young £
GOMEZ
REUS - OZIL - GOTZE
pls?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rsonist
The knockout phases of this tournament have been a complete snoozefest as far as I'm concerned. Greece, Czech republic, France and England all sucking the life out of their games. Last night's game wasn't bad, as at least both teams wanted to give it a go, but it was still far from a great match.
I do think (hope) tonight's game will be brilliant though.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mark_INIESTA_davies
Tournament Football is sh*t,
Hate it, will never like it and hope to god it's over ASAP.
f*ck*ng Tournament sh*t, no one wants it, meaningless tripe for all the groupie half hearted camp football fans that want a day out.
Roll on September.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Thizz
ANY BETS TONIGHT LADS??
Link to comment
Share on other sites
O Fenomeno
taly (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Balzaretti, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; De Rossi, Pirlo, Marchisio; Montolivo; Cassano, Balotelli
Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Boateng, Hummels, Badstuber, Lahm; Schweinsteiger, Khedira; Kroos, Ozil, Podolski; Gomez
Link to comment
Share on other sites
O Fenomeno
Low has gone defensive
I think he is going to get Khedira or Kroos to do a job on Pirlo
/
Pirlo's reverse pass for Grosso
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Trim
was sick
the finish was f*cked aswell
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Francis Coquelin
viali
talk about a "blast from the past"
Link to comment
Share on other sites
O Fenomeno
Montolivo to have the German flag stitched into his boots
Link to comment
Share on other sites
O Fenomeno
Don Pirlo>>>
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pro
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Trim
Shearer LOVES interrupting people
swear whenever he starts speaking its when someone else is mid sentence
Link to comment
Share on other sites
O Fenomeno
Bilic>>Hodgson
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Trim
The way Pirlo looked at Hart after that pen
Link to comment
Share on other sites
O Fenomeno
Pirlo
I saw that Hart was very sure of
himself; I thought that he had to come down off his high horse."
Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Somalian
Did jerome and mario ever make up since their bust up?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Goddaz
I'm HYPED!!!!
It should be a sick game.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wavant
The anthems>>>
Link to comment
Share on other sites
O Fenomeno
These German ethnics really refuse to sing the anthem
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wavant
Fuck is this shit?!
Link to comment
Share on other sites