Injury-hit Germany looks for win over Austria

Posted Thursday, June 02, 2011 by

Germany can all but secure its spot at the 2012 European Championship by beating Austria on Friday and Azerbaijan four days later, but has to do so without five regular starters.

Coach Joachim Loew’s squad has been diminished to 16 field players and three goalkeepers since midfielder Christian Traesch joined the injury list, which already included striker Miroslav Klose, defender Per Mertesacker and midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marco Reus.

“We don’t want to lose our comfortable lead,” said Loew, who did not call up a replacement. “If we drop three or four points, the others will be well in it again.”

Germany is one of three teams with perfect records in Euro 2012 qualifying so far, along with the Netherlands in Group E and Spain in Group I.

The absence of several regulars might be partly compensated by the possible return of Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, who has recovered from tearing a thigh muscle in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on April 20.

Khedira’s teammate Mesut Oezil was expected to team up with Mario Gomez in attack, while winger Lukas Podolski was doutbful because of a persistent foot injury.

“Austria is playing for its last chance. It’s not going to be easy but I am sure we will win,” Oezil said. “Our aim is to win titles. I think we are going to be the favorite at the European Championship.”

Captain Philipp Lahm described the match against neighboring Austria in the sold-out 50,000-capacity Ernst Happel Stadium as “explosive.”

“There is always a certain rivalry … but we have the quality to overcome Austria,” Lahm said.

Austria last beat Germany 4-1 in a 1986 friendly, and Germany has won five of their six matches since, outscoring Austria 18-4 in total.

“Everybody in the world knows the strengths of Germany,” Austria winger Martin Harnik said. “They outplay us in every department of the game.”

Stuttgart’s Harnik is one of four Austrians who play for German Bundesliga clubs alongside Christian Fuchs (Mainz), Emanuel Pogatetz (Hannover) and David Alaba (Hoffenheim).

Coach Dietmar Constantini is hoping a good result against Germany can turn the tide for his team, which lost 2-0 to both Belgium and Turkey in March.

“We have hardly left any chance of qualifying,” Constantini said. “Only if we win our five remaining games, but that’s kind of unrealistic regarding our recent performances.”

Captain Marc Janko said Germany is a clear favorite, which takes pressure away from his team.

“We prepare ourselves intensively but we obviously are the outsiders,” Janko said. “We have nothing to lose. We want to annoy the big brother, maybe we can get a draw or even manage a huge upset.”