Germany: victory imperative

By Mark Bennett

Perennial underachievers at the UEFA Under-21 Championships, host nation Germany will go into this year's finals as one of the favourites, determined to break their duck at this level.

Home advantage
Despite a brimming trophy cabinet that includes three FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships, the U21 tournament has always eluded Germany, despite the side reaching three finals. In a memorable final in 1982, a German side including future international stalwarts Rudi Völler and Pierre Littbarski, lost 5-4 on aggregate to England, despite Littbarski's second leg hat-trick. This year a good German squad is hopeful of taking advantage of playing on home soil to claim their first honours at this level.

Auer strikes
It was hardly surprising that the Germans managed to come through qualifying then, though it did require a 93rd-minute goal from FSV Mainz 05 striker Benjamin Auer to do so. Topping a qualification group that included Scotland, Lithuania and Iceland, Germany were drawn with Turkey in the play-offs. After winning the first leg 1-0 with a goal from Hanno Balitsch in the BayArena, where he plays his club football for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the tie was heading for extra-time in Istanbul after Hamit Altintop had levelled the scores. Auer had other ideas though, glancing in a free-kick in the dying seconds to seal qualification and silence the 50,000 strong-crowd.

Experienced talent
In the past, German U21 coaches have complained that their players are not experienced enough, because the players spent most of the time playing for their respective clubs' reserve teams. But this year, Uli Stielike can boast a squad full of experience and talent. Captain Balitsch is a key player. For the last three years he has been a constant fixture in the Bundesliga, first for 1. FC Köln and now for Leverkusen. His tough-tackling displays have not only earned him the captaincy of the U21 side, but also recognition at senior level.

Outstanding midfield
The team's principle strength is their midfield. As well as Balitsch, coach Stielike also has Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Markus Feulner to call upon to provide his team with creativity and tenacity in equal measure. They are led by Christian Tiffert, who has a wealth of Bundersliga experience to draw upon and played eight games in VfB Stuttgart's UEFA Champions League run this season.

Hot-shot Podolski
Germany's strike force could also pose quite a problem for the opponents. Köln's Lukas Podolski is likely to lead the way up front with Mike Hanke and Benjamin Auer contesting for a place alongside the razor-sharp 18-year-old. At the other end, goalkeeper Tim Wiese of 1. FC Kaiserslautern has performed excellently for the U21s, particularly in their playoff games with Turkey.

Völler threat
There is no place in the squad for VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach's Thomas Broich, who has his leg in plaster due to tendinitis, but Stielike's biggest problem is arguably senior team coach Rudi Völler. In recent months Völler has removed Kevin Kuranyi, Andreas Hinkel and Philipp Lahm from the U21 set-up and all three of them are likely to claim a place in Völler's squad for UEFA EURO 2004™ in Portugal. It is rumoured that Schweinsteiger and Podolski could join them. "We were thinking of letting Benjamin Lauth play both tournaments, before he fractured his foot. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski could do the same," hinted Völler.

For profile of coach Uli Stielike click here