One Eye on Euro 2012 as Germany Host Holland
Germany host fellow European giants Holland in Hamburg Tuesday in a friendly which, nonetheless, could produce another classic encounter as both sides look to throw down a marker before Euro 2012.
"It is exciting," said Holland's Inter Milan star Wesley Sneijder.
"Germany and the 'Oranje' are going to the Euro with the same goal. We both want to be European champions."
As current Dutch captain Mark van Bommel admits, there is no such thing as a friendly when playing Germany.
"Games against Germany have always had a high priority for me," said the former Bayern Munich captain.
"There are no longer such thing as friendly games, especially against Germany. There are a lot of emotions involved."
The Germans breezed through their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with the perfect record of 10 wins from 10 games, while World Cup finalists Holland stumbled only to defeat against Sweden in their final qualifier.
The Dutch were booed on Friday in Amsterdam when they were held to a goalless draw by Switzerland and Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt says the fans' reaction just gives added motivation to the Dutch team.
"We will play better against a world-class opponent like Germany," said Kuyt.
"Against the Swiss, we didn't quite take out everything that was on offer.
"But Germany are a top team and the game will be a real measuring stick."
Neither team impressed on Friday in friendlies as Holland's attack failed to fire against the Swiss while Germany had to come from 3-1 down in Kiev before sealing a 3-3 draw against Ukraine.
Germany coach Joachim Loew played an experimental 3-4-1-2 formation in Kiev, but after leaking three goals in the first 45 minutes, he is set to abandon his three-man defense against the Dutch.
This will be Loew's 75th international as Germany coach and he looks set to use a traditional 4-4-2 formation to allow strikers Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez to play together.
Klose missed the Kiev clash with a knee injury and with 62 goals in 112 appearances for Germany, he is just six short of the all-time record of 'Das Bomber' Gerd Muller as top scorer for his country.
The 33-year-old completed squad training on Sunday with no problems and he looks set to face the Dutch.
Having first played the Dutch in 1910, Germany have a long history against their European neighbors and are slightly ahead in head-to-head meetings with 13 wins among 10 defeats and 14 draws.
The most explosive clash between the two nations was in Milan at the 1990 World Cup when Germany beat the Netherlands 2-1 in a bad-tempered quarter-final.
Both Germany's Rudi Voeller and Holland's Frank Rijkaard were sent off early in the match after the Dutchman infamously spat at the German midfielder.
Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk will be without both Arsenal striker Robin van Persie and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart in Hamburg with the former being rested and the later injured with a thigh strain.
Schalke 04's Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar could be an option up front for the Oranje, despite wearing a mask to protect his broken nose, but with 21 goals in 19 games for his Bundesliga side, Huntelaar is in fine form.
Source: Agence France Presse
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