Germany look to Ballack

Cashing in
After drawing with the Netherlands and Latvia, Germany go into tomorrow's game in Lisbon knowing that a win will assure them of a place in the quarter-finals. "It is no secret that Ballack is very important for us," Völler said today. "We will have to get him into scoring positions and hopefully he will cash in on the chances."

Ballack holds key
Ballack, who struck three goals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, has yet to score in Portugal but Völler believes that the 27-year-old's presence remains pivotal. "As soon as Michael gets near opponents' penalty areas they start to look worried because everybody knows what he is capable of," the coach said. "We would also be pleased if he created the openings and other players scored."

No extra pressure
Ballack himself has insisted that he is not feeling any more pressure than usual, despite the hopes of the country resting on his shoulders. "The game against the Czech Republic is no different to the other two matches we have played," said the FC Bayern München player. "We wanted to win against the Netherlands and Latvia and we want to win against the Czech Republic. Nothing has changed and I can't feel any extra pressure."

Wörns tip
Somewhat surprisingly, Ballack has tipped a player who has never before scored for Germany to hit the net tomorrow. "Christian Wörns came close a couple of times in the match against the Netherlands and I don't see why he shouldn't score his first ever goal for Germany against the Czech Republic," he said. "But in the end it doesn't matter who scores as long as we score and get the goals we need to win."

Schweinsteiger hint
Meanwhile, Völler, who is expected to return to a 4-5-1 formation with Ballack operating behind a lone striker, has hinted that midfield player Bastian Schweinsteiger could make the starting lineup for the first time since the start of the tournament.

Wait and see
"Bastian did well when he came on against the Netherlands and Latvia," he said. "His performance wasn't perfect, but we have been pleased with him. He has got a chance of making the starting lineup, but we will have to wait and see what happens in training. He is still nursing a slight calf injury, but hopefully he will be fit."

Hamann in training
If he does get the nod, Schweinsteiger is likely to replace Bernd Schneider, who along with Dietmar Hamann, has returned to full training after recovering from a slight knock.