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Low one of the rare optimists in Germany

The Germans are defending their bronze medal from South Africa and their coach believes they can win the tournament. Considering their problems with injuries, their fans are not so optimistic. Ronaldo is ready for the game and that's the most important thing for Portugal

Germany was playing fantastic football for some time, they were as exciting as Bayern in club competitions but this time seems to have passed. There are only some traces of euphoria and optimism and the biggest optimist is their coach Low:

- I think we can go far in this competition. We're in good form and it's not easy to beat us. We are completely ready and most importantly, everyone is healthy - Low announced today's game.

One look at their list of players reveals many odd things. First of all, the Germans will not use any classic full-backs but will have four center-backs in front of Neuer.

- I'm happy we will have so many defenders on the pitch. It will be our huge advantage against Portugal - said the keeper who has been struggling with an injury in recent days. However, he said he is completely ready. 

So, one cannot expect the Germans to do much through their flanks but Howedes and Boateng should be able to stop Nani and Ronaldo. 

Low will try Lahm in midfield as he's had a good season in Bayern as their defensive midfielder and he should be joined by Khedira. His form is a big mystery as he's missed almost the entire season due to his severe knee injury. 

Unfortunately, the form of their offensive midfielder Ozil is very much known to everyone. Arsenal's player was their worst man in the game against Cameroon and was whistled off the pitch. It seems he'll end up on the bench today.

The Germans will also play without a classic forward and Muller will be their main attacking outlet while Podolski and Schurrle should wreak havoc on the flanks. 

All of this is not a guarantee of a great performance, but one should never write off the Germans.

Portugal have had good preparations and they even got good results. Considering the fact they were without some players, their main focus was training. 

- I am happy with what we've done. The team is completely ready and is well prepared. I am anxiously awaiting the first game, I believe we can get a good result - said the Portuguese coach Bento.

The Portuguese are the favorites to reach Round 2 but it won't be easy in the group with Germany, Ghana and USA. They have to do their best in each game and there will be no easy points.

- We are happy to have Cristiano Ronaldo ready but the people don't understand he isn't enough for us to win the World Cup. Some people in Portugal may not like it when I say it, but one player cannot guarantee you the title. The others also have to step up - added Bento. 

The Portuguese will play in their classic 4-3-3 formation. The only doubt (if there ever was one) was who their central forward will be. Postiga was given the nod even though Almeida scored 2 goals in their last friendly game. Bento doesn't like to change things too much and he's playing it safe.

His biggest concern is the time at which the game will be played. He feels that 13:00 is not appropriate for this competition. Not only will this not help one team or the other, it will make things difficult for both teams.

The referee for this game will be Milorad Mažić from Serbia, a man known for his quick trigger when it comes to cards. He has an average of 4.46 yellow cards in 61 international games. 

I can't shake the feeling that the odds on Germany dominating possession are overrated. If we have 60 minutes of pure game, 57% possession would mean 34 minutes in their possession, i.e. 8 minutes more than the Portuguese. Midfield with Veloso, Moutinho, Meireles can hold the bold a lot and I doubt they will allow themselves to be dominated. On the other hand, Germany don't seem too superior. Only a few have gone over this margin and I think the only way for this to happen is if the Portuguese score an early goal as they would focus only on defense, provided they manage to keep their lead for a long time. The Germans have not gone over this margin in too many games against strong opponents (Chile 48%, England 51%, Italy 55%). They had 55% against Portugal at the last Euro but I think that Germany was stronger than this one today.

Germany and Portugal played at the start of Euro two years ago and played a poor game, ridden with constant stops and breaks that only got going in the final 20 minutes when the Germans took the lead after a goal from the corner. They had the Netherlands in the group then and a draw didn't guarantee anything and they were still ready to take it then. Today, a draw would mean a lot more as four more points against Ghana and the USA is what both teams should be able to do.
One can expect a tactical duel in which no one will risk too much at 0-0 and if someone gets the lead, they will know they have practically secured the Round of 16 and will do their best to preserve the lead.
They're not in too good attacking forms, despite their wins over inferior teams in their general rehearsals. The Germans have suffered a major setback when Reus got injured and it seems Low is ready to sacrifice Ozil for another defender. Ronaldo is still struggling with his knee and even though he'll play, the question is how helpful he will be.