Germany and Italy are ready for a World Cup classic

By Barry Whelan Jul 3, 2006, 18:03 GMT

Dortmund - Germany will be seeking to reach their eighth World Cup final when they meet Italy in the semi-finals on Tuesday but come up against an opponent who have traditionally caused them problems.

A German side has never beaten an Italian team at a World Cup finals and two defeats stand out in the record books: the 1982 final in Madrid won 3-1 by Italy, and the 1970 semi-final thriller in Mexico when Italy overcame West Germany 4-3 after extra-time.

Italy are also one of the few teams with a positive overall record against Germany with 13 wins and only seven defeats in a total of 28 international meetings.

However, Italy will have to do what no team has ever done before of they are to reach the July 9 final - beat Germany in Dortmund where the home team has not lost in 14 games over 71 years. Thirteen of those games ended in victories.

The stage is thus set for a fascinating duel between two three- time world champions who have found their form at the right time.

The hosts - their confidence further boosted by the quarter-final penalties victory over Argentina - will now be considered marginally the favourites in view of home advantage and - if it again comes to penalties - a much better record than the Italians in the shoot-out.

Germany have already shown it was wrong to write them off before the tournament. Only four months ago Germany were thrashed 4-1 by Italy in a friendly in Florence, leading to calls for coach Juergen Klinsmann to resign.

The memory of that game lingers, and it will be all the more sweeter for Klinsmann if that result was avenged here.

Klinsmann, who was a member of the West Germany team that won the World Cup for the third time in 1990, has no injury problems after captain Michael Ballack and striker Miroslav Klose - who both suffered from cramp against Argentina - were pronounced fit.

But the hosts have lost midfielder Torsten Frings who was suspended for the match by a FIFA disciplinary investigation following the pitch fracas which marred the end of the match with Argentina.

Klinsmann could call up Werder Bremen team-mate Tim Borowski, who has been patiently waiting for his chance. Borowski started for the injured Ballack in the opening match against Costa Rica and has appeared regularly as a substitute since then. Another alternative is the Dortmund defensive midfielder Sebastian Kehl.

Italy will probably again be without central defender Alessandro Nesta who is labouring to recover from a groin strain.

Nesta picked up the injury during the final group game against the Czech Republic. He missed his team's 1-0 second-round win over Australia and their 3-0 triumph over Ukraine in the quarter-finals.

Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi, who missed the Ukraine match due to suspension, is likely to return to the starting line-up although Andrea Barzagli, who deputised against Ukraine, is another option for coach Marcello Lippi.

Germany will be seeking to take the initiative but may have to be content with a more patient approach. The game is unlikely to be anything other than the sort of tactical encounter which has been a feature of the tournament in general.

Klinsmann said his team had the energy and confidence to overcome Italy in a game he described as one of the football 'classics'.

'We have the two biggest hurdles in front of us and we will go for it,' he said, already looking forward to the final.

'Italy deserve a lot of respect. They have a huge tradition and history but we think about our own game. We are convinced that if we play our own game that we are able to beat them, and that is what we are going to do tomorrow night. We go into the game with the feeling we are going to beat them.'

Line-ups:

Germany (probable): Lehmann - Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm - Schneider, Borowski, Ballack, Schweinsteiger - Podolski, Klose.

Italy (probable): Buffon - Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Materazzi, Grosso - Perrotta, Gattuso, Pirlo, Camoranesi - Totti - Toni.