Jun 28, 2008, 12:15 GMT
Hamburg - The whole world agrees that Spain plays classier football than Germany but there is also a widespread belief that Gary Lineker may be right again when the final whistle of the Euro 2008 final is blown on Sunday night.
'Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win,' the former England forward Lineker once famously said.
Spain's free-flowing but still organized one-touch football has been praised from the opening 4-1 win over Russia to the equally impressive 3-0 against Russia when they met again in the semi-finals.
Germany, by contrast, played only one really convincing match, in a 3-2 quarter-final victory against Portugal.
Spain play a similar style than Portugal, and Germany enjoys the role as underdog now just like it did little more than a week ago.
But what got everyone really nervous was when Germany also beat Turkey 3-2 in the semi-finals - without playing well.
Michael Ballack and company were not as dull as some German teams in the 1980s and early in this millennium, and their three moments of flair which were enough for three goals.
The match also marked the rebirth of Germany's resilience which together with some flair could prove a deadly mixture on Sunday.
'A lot more speaks in favour of Spain. But Germany are not as big an outsider as many think,' warned Swiss daily Blick on Saturday.
After all, German teams of various skills have managed to walk away with three World Cups and three Euro titles ever since the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland.
'How did Germany do it? The old, time-honoured tradition of holding their nerve when it mattered most, by taking their chances however few they were and never being inhibited by the greater flair and ambition of their opponents,' said The Independent.
The Guardian said: 'More than half a century ago few expected Fritz Walter's West Germany to beat the manifestly superior Hungary of Ferenc Puskas. That turned out to be the last day in football history that Germany would ever be underestimated.'
The Sun said in awe of the semi-final escape: 'How typically, horribly, wonderfully German.'
And Danish paper Ekrat Bladet noted that 'the Germans know better than anyone else how you do the right things at the right time. It wasn't luck, it was class.'
The praise - mainly from England, of all places - was well- observed in Germany.
'The international reactions on the continuous success of the Germans in the biggest game in the world are remarks of respect rather than protest,' said the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
Arsenal's French coach Arsene Wenger said: 'I think Germany's mental strength comes from belief. Belief comes from history. The history backs them up in every tournament. They know they have done well in the past and go into tournaments with that kind of strength.'
Spain lack this strength having not been in a big final since since Euro 1984 and having only lifted one trophy 44 years ago at Euro 1964 in front of a home crowd.
Germany will be playing in its 13th big final, Spain in its third.
'In their favour, Spain have momentum and confidence following that storming win over Russia. But on the cusp of such long-awaited success, holding their nerve could present a test.
Germany, in contrast, will not lack for self-belief. It just remains to be seen if they have the talent,' said The Daily Telegraph.
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