Germany’s Goetze eager to face Dutch

Posted Thursday, November 10, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Germany's teenage star Mario Goetze is hoping for the chance to take on World Cup runners-up the Netherlands on Tuesday and for the opportunity to play alongside Real Madrid play-maker Mesut Ozil.

Goetze, who turned 19 in June, has been in stellar form this season for both his club, Borussia Dortmund, and country, but Germany coach Joachim Loew has so far resisted playing him alongside Real's Ozil.

Germany face Euro 2012 co-hosts the Ukraine in Kiev on Friday, then host Holland in Hamburg four days later, and Loew has said he will experiment by playing the pair together in at least one of the games.

"When I am on the national team, it's always fun," said Goetze.

"Especially for a game against Holland, what more could you want?

"That is a real classic."

Goetze says he now has a lot more attention from defences when he plays.

"Last year, there was maybe one player marking me, now there are two or three players," he said.

"The opposition are taking more intensive care of me, they'll try anything to stop me and there has also been some provocation."

Having made ten appearances for Germany, scoring two goals in the process, Goetze has been in eye-catching form especially when he orchestrated Germany's 3-2 win over Brazil in a friendly in August.

He scored twice in Dortmund's 5-1 hammering of Wolfsburg last Saturday which saw his club go second in the German league behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Dortmund take on Bayern at Munich's Allianz Arena on November 19, but Goetze admits Bayern's five-point lead at the top of the table may already be too great.

"Bayern are a superior team. I think that this season they will most probably be German champions," said Goetze.

"We will, of course, try to do our best and to make sure we stay in the places for Europe."