Analysis & Previews

Back Germany @ 8/1  to win the World Cup......1/5 to win Group A......  bet with BLUESQUARE

Back Poland @ 250/1  to win the World Cup......16/1 to win Group A......  bet with BLUESQUARE

Germany's Mike Hanke is suspended for this match. Captain Michael Ballack has been declared fit after missing the first match with a calf strain.

Poland's Kamil Kosowski is doubtful with a strained hamstring.

A second victory for Germany would guarantee their place in the last 16 if Ecuador beat or at least draw with Costa Rica in the other Group A match. Poland will need at least a draw to keep their campaign alive. It has been 10 years since Germany beat a European team at the World Cup or European Championship finals, their last victory coming in their 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in the final of Euro 1996. This is almost a local derby where support is not lacking. Tens of thousands of Poles have headed west joining up with their fellow country men who have long settled in the Dortmund area to watch their country face World Cup host nation Germany. Even 2 of the German players, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski are of Polish origins.

Poland's coach made a tactical switch from a tried and tested formation of 4-4-2 which helped them through the qualifications to a more cautious 5-men midfield in their opening day defeat to Ecuador. If they take out another negative approach a defeat here will see their World Cup adventure ended prematurely. They have the capabilities to push the Germans all the way if they take the game to the Germans. A draw may not be good enough. On a 1 ball handicap, I take the Poles again. A draw for the Germans would not be a disaster.

Back Poland on a + 1 ball in Asian handicap @ 2.075 with Bet365

Germany: coach Jurgen Klinsmann

Goalkeepers: 1 LEHMANN Jens(Arsenal, ENG), 12 KAHN Oliver(Bayern Munich, GER), 23 HILDEBRAND Timo(VfB Stuttgart, GER)

Defenders: 2 JANSEN Marcell(Borussia Moenchengladbach, GER), 3 FRIEDRICH Arne(Hertha Berlin, GER), 4 HUTH Robert(Chelsea, ENG), 6 NOWOTNY Jens(Bayer Leverkusen, GER), 16 LAHM Philipp(Bayern Munich, GER), 17 MERTESACKER Per(Hanover 96, GER), 21 METZELDER Christoph(Borussia Dortmund, GER)

Midfielders: 5 KEHL Sebastian(Borussia Dortmund, GER), 7 SCHWEINSTEIGER Bastian(Bayern Munich, GER), 8 FRINGS Torsten(Werder Bremen, GER), 13 BALLACK Michael(Bayern Munich, GER), 15
HITZLSPERGER Thomas(VfB Stuttgart, GER), 18 BOROWSKI Tim(Werder Bremen, GER), 19 SCHNEIDER Bernd(Bayer Leverkusen, GER), 22 ODONKOR David(Borussia Dortmund, GER)

Forwards: 9 HANKE Mike(Wolfsburg, GER), 10 NEUVILLE Oliver(Borussia Moenchengladbach, GER), 11 KLOSE Miroslav(Werder Bremen, GER), 14 ASAMOAH Gerald(Schalke 04, GER), 20 PODOLSKI Lukas(FC Cologne, GER)

Poland : coach Pawel Janas

Goalkeepers: 1 BORUC Artur(Celtic, SCO), 12 KUSZCZAK Tomasz(Slask Wroclaw, POL), 22 FABIANSKI Lukasz(Legia Warsaw, POL)

Defenders: 2 JOP Mariusz(FC Moscow, RUS), 3 GANCARCZYK Seweryn(Metalist Kharkiv, UKR), 4 BASZCZYNSKI Marcin(Wisla Krakow, POL), 6 BAK Jacek(Al Rayyan, QAT), 14 ZEWLAKOW Michal(Anderlecht, BEL), 17 DUDKA Dariusz(Wisla Krakow, POL), 18 LEWANDOWSKI Mariusz(Shakhtar Donetsk, UKR)

Midfielders: 5 KOSOWSKI Kamil(Southampton, ENG), 7 SOBOLEWSKI Radoslaw(Wisla Krakow, POL), 8 KRZYNOWEK Jacek(Bayer Leverkusen, GER), 10 SZYMKOWIAK Miroslav(Trabzonspor, TUR), 13 MILA Sebastian(Austria Vienna, AUT), 15 SMOLAREK Ebi(Borussia Dortmund, GER), 16 RADOMSKI Arkadiusz(Austria Vienna, AUT), 19 GORAWSKI Damian(FC Moscow, RUS), 20 GIZA Piotr(Cracovia, POL)

Forwards: 9 ZURAWSKI Maciej(Celtic, SCO), 11 RASIAK Grzegorz(Southampton, ENG), 21 JELEN Ireneusz(Wisla Plock, POL), 23 BROZEK Pawel(Wisla Krakow, POL)

Probable lineups:

Germany (4-4-2):
1-Jens Lehmann (33-0); 3-Arne Friedrich (37-0), 21-Christoph Metzelder (23-0), 17-Per Mertesacker (24-1), 16-Philipp Lahm (19-2); 18-Bernd Schneider (65-1), 8-Torsten Frings (53-8), 13-Michael Ballack (65-31), 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger (29-7); 20-Lukas Podolski (26-12), 11-Miroslav Klose (56-26)
Coach: Juergen Klinsmann

Poland (4-5-1 or 4-4-2):
1-Artur Boruc (18-0); 6-Jacek Bak (73-2), 2-Mariusz Jop (13-0), 14-Michal Zewlakow (57-1), 4-Marcin Baszczynski (33-1); 8-Jacek Krzynowek (59-9), 21-Ireneusz Jelen (10-2) or 16-Arkadiusz Radomski (21-0), 10-Miroslaw Szymkowiak (29-3), 7-Radoslaw Sobolewski (20-1), 15-Euzebiusz Smolarek (15-4); 9-Maciej Zurawski (51-15)

Referee:  MEDINA CANTALEJO Luis (Spain)

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