Joachim Low said Germany would treat their Euro 2012 Group B rivals with the utmost respect.
The three-time World Cup winners will pit their wits against the Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark in a daunting section dubbed the ‘Group of Death’.
The Germans finished top scorers at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and many observers take the view that the current crop – including the likes of Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez – represent the biggest threat to Spain defending their European crown. People placing Euro 2012 bets may want to bear this in mind.
They emerged from qualification Group A with a perfect 10 out of 10 but Low is refusing to get carried away.
The Dutch reached the World Cup 2010 final and Portugal and Denmark ironically both came through qualification from Group H.
He said: “They all have their strengths. Portugal, the Netherlands – they are the most technical teams in the world, and Denmark are strong as a team. So we need to take it as it is.”
Reaching the knockout stages in Poland and Ukraine could hinge on the crunch game against the Netherlands and Low said the Kharkiv showdown on June 13 was likely to be an epic. Those placing football bets online should remember this.
He said: “[Playing the Netherlands] is always something special and we’re looking forward to it.”
Group B schedule
Saturday 9 June
NED v DEN, 18.00CET, Kharkiv
GER v POR, 20.45CET, Lviv
Wednesday 13 June
DEN v POR, 18.00CET, Lviv
NED v GER, 20.45CET, Kharkiv
Sunday 17 June 2012
POR v NED, 20.45CET, Kharkiv
DEN v GER, 20.45CET, Lviv