The Germans were the out-and-out favourite to blast through the tournament and cruise to a Euro 2008 title. It hasn't exactly been as painless as expected (2-1 loss to Croatia anyone?) but the Germans are in the semi-finals and look good value to have a go at things. Things definitely haven't gone according to plan for Germany, but players have stepped up when necessary and that's the type of thing you need to win tournaments. Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski, in particular, have been in exceptional form (Bastian's red card aside).
The opening fixture for Euro 2008 has a 2-0 win to the Czechs written all over it. The Czechs are the perennial squad that puts in good, physical performances but can't maintain them long enough to actually win a tournament.
