Germany vs Italy Betting Preview

What a mouthwatering game in prospect. The hosts Germany against Italy in Dortmund on Tuesday evening, doing battle for a place in the World Cup Final in Berlin on July 9. This match will not fail to deliver fireworks, of that I am sure. Germany's assistant coach, Joachim Loew, has indicated that Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose, two key players who suffered with minor injuries during their quarter-final clash with Argentina, severe cramp and a calf injury respectively, are expected to recover in time for Tuesday's match. It would appear that both Jurgen Klinsmann and Marcello Lippi will be at full strength squad-wise for this encounter, so there can be no excuses. Will the gung-ho attacking style of the Mannschaft win the day, or will the more pragmatic approach adopted by the Azzurri pay dividends? Well, the bookmakers are unanimous in making the hosts favourites in the match result market. They are a top-priced 5/4 but as short as 11/10 in places. Italy, meanwhile, are available at 11/4 with betuk and Sporting Odds, but are generally 9/4. On the plus side for the Germans, they have the twelfth man. The support of a nation hungry for success behind them. This very factor helped players, most notably the irrepressible Ballack, to play through the pain barrier during their victory over Argentina, a match they won on penalties after 120 minutes of open play couldn't separate them. On the downside, one wonders how much that match will have taken out of them. Conversely, Italy had a picnic of a match against Ukraine, barely needing to come out of second gear to beat the Eastern European side who did themselves proud but were simply outclassed by Lippi's organised and technically-gifted charges. The drawback for Italy, apart from the obvious advantage Germany have by being the host nation, is that they don't create anywhere near as many chances as Klinsmann's men. In their five games played thus far in the competition, Italy have had 63 shots on goal. Compare this to Germany, who have had a colossal 88 attempts on goal in their quintet of matches. Italy have played some decent sides en route to this semi-final but Germany appear to have been faced with the stiffer assignments to date, and the question is whether the Azzurri's defence will cope with the bombardment that lies in wait on Tuesday? Interestingly, though, Italy have a good record when playing Germany; they have prevailed in five of the thirteen matches played between the two nations, five ending level and three going to the Germans. In fact, the Azzurri gave them something of a hiding in a friendly in Florence in March of this year, emerging with an emphatic 4-1 victory. They beat Germany in the 1982 World Cup Final and eliminated them on the only occasion that they have met in a World Cup semi-final previously, 1970. However, if there is one thing we have come to learn about Germany over the last three decades, it's that they are a team that rise to the occasion - they are an out and out tournament team, and excel under such conditions. Ironically, their last World Cup victory was in Italy in 1990. Above all, including stats and the such like, what Germany have behind them, in addition to the overwhelming support, is sheer momentum. As this tournament has gone on, the Germans have gone from strength to strength. Despite not etching his name onto a scoresheet, aside from his strike in the penalty shoot-out in the last round, Michael Ballack's contribution to the team has nevertheless been first rate. The way he soldiered on despite having to undergo treatment for cramp at various stages during the match against Argentina underpins the mental and physical fortitude Germany have displayed in this tournament thus far. While he is the heartbeat of the side, it's been far from a one-man show. The goal-assassin, Miroslav Klose, scorer of six of Germany's ten goals scored within 90 minutes in their five matches played, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who was the hero of the hour in the penalty shoot-out against Argentina in the quarter-final, and Lukas Podolski have all played major roles in ensuring Germany's passage to the semi-finals. The last-named, a twenty-one-year-old who previously plied his trade with FC Cologne, had showcased his ability for his country prior to this tournament but he has really come of age of late. As he proved against Argentina, he is capable of mixing it with the very best, and the Polish-born youngster will give the Italian defence plenty to think about. Luca Toni had endured four frustrating games in which he failed to hit the target before discovering his shooting boots when scoring twice against the Ukraine. Toni had been in electrifying form for Fiorentina in Serie A so it was a surprise that it took him until the fifth game to get off the mark but he is a deadly finisher and, now that he has broken his World Cup hoodoo, he will be razor sharp ahead of this fixture. When push comes to shove, however, I am pretty confident that this match will be settled within 90 minutes, and that Germany will win. It's not hard to envisage the Germans battering away at Italy, and Lippi's men will try and repel them before counter-attacking. Something of a chess match may ensue in the first half and they will cancel each other out. But after the interval Germany will, I'm sure, break the deadlock. And, therefore, the 9/2 on offer with Blue Square about draw/Germany in the double result market is recommended. Also, the same firm offer 11/2 about a 1-0 win for the Germans, which makes plenty of appeal, since this game will be extremely tight and if, as I expect, the hosts score somewhere around the midway point in the second half, they will probably build a wall in front of the Italian attack. Unlike the Berlin wall, however, this one will not be for breaking.