On paper, tonight should be a walkover for Germany. For as well as Greece did to get to this stage, Germany just have too much for them, I think that Germany coach Joachim Loew thinks that too as he makes 4 changes to the team that won their last group game against Denmark.
Jerome Boateng returned from suspension and took Lars Benders place at right back, Miroslav Klose replaced Mario Gomez up front, Andre Schurrle took Thomas Muellers place and Marco Reus replaced Lukas Podolski.
This was either very arrogant, brave, or stupid to make so many changes in the quarter final of a tournament and I think Joachim Loew pretty much did the Greek managers team talk for him.
Greece themselves made two changes from their fine win against Russia, Captain Grigoris Karagounois was suspended and replaced by Grigoris Mako and Sotiris Ninis was replaced by Fanis Gekas.
The winner of tonights game would play the winner of England and Italy in the semi-final, so I assume the English supporters would want to play Greece rather than Germany.
Germany started off at a very fast pace and had the ball in the net in the fourth minute when a shot from Khedira was parried by the Greek goalkeeper and Schweinsteiger pounced to put the ball in the net but he came from an offside position, Germany, despite their changes were looking dangerous early on.
Germany were well on top and Greece offered almost no attacking threat, Germany would attack, Greece would clear and because of their tactics of hardly having anyone up front the ball kept coming back and Khedira, Ozil, Reus and Schurrle all had good chances but the Greece goal could not be breached.
That was until the 39th minute, Philp Lahm picked the ball up on the left, cut inside and hit an unstoppable shot into the far right corner. Finally Germany had something to show for their domination, if things carried on like the first half so far the referee might as well had blown his whistle then, but this is Greece, they had been written off before in this tournament. Who knows what might happen.
The second half started pretty much similar to the first, Germany were well on top and must have thought they were already in the semi finals.
Nobody told Greece the plan though and on 56 minutes Salpdingidis broke down the right and put in a brilliant ball across the 6 yard box for Giorgios Samaras to fire the ball home to bring the Greeks level against all the odds.
This woke the Germans up, 3 minutes later Sami Khedira put the Germans back ahead, Jerome Boateng flew down the right and crossed the ball for Miroslav Klose, the striker couldn’t get to it but Khedira caught it sweet on the volley from 12 yards out, giving the Greek goalkeeper no chance. Back to normal for Germany who must have feared the worst after the Gree comeback.
Things got worse for Greece as Germany started to flex their muscles in the 68th minute, a corner was swung in from Ozil and Miroslav Klose rose 6 yards out to head in Germany’s third past the Greek goalkeeper who was flapping in no mans land, Greece had to be careful this didn’t turn into a rout.
It was turning into a rout and in a game that was similar to the England game in the World Cup in 2010 Germany continued to pour forward, Ozil attacked again and played in Klose whose shot was initially saved but Marco Reus was following up and smashed in Germany’s 4th on 75 minutes, if anything there were only going to be more goals for them.
Greece had a chance for consolation when a cross from Dimitris Torossidis was handled in the box by Jerome Boateng, Salpangidis stepped up and finished well to make it 4-2 and restore some pride for Greece who, to be completely honest had been second best all night.
All in all the right side went through on the night despite Greece’s mini fightback at the start of the second half. This now sets up a potential England V Germany semi-final if England can get past Italy, that should be fun!.
Link – Germany V Greece BBC Report
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