Germany turn to history for final warm-up

Germany will draw on history for inspiration when they face Hungary in their final test for Euro 2004 on Sunday, 50 years after a memorable triumph over the same opponents in the 1954 World Cup final.

Rudi Voeller, who also has something to celebrate with the friendly in Kaiserslautern being his 50th game as Germany coach, will seek a morale boost before his team head for Portugal for the finals starting on June 12.

"It will be a serious test," said Voeller. "It is important that the players fly to Portugal full of confidence. I want to see them fight."

The game will be a special occasion too for Hungary coach Lothar Matthaeus, who was the captain of West Germany's 1990 World Cup-winning side and played a record 150 games for his country.

Matthaeus, who refuses to comment on speculation he might move on to Turkish first division side Besiktas, pointed out his team had been decimated by injuries and that their sights had been set accordingly.

"(Germany goalkeeper and captain) Oliver Kahn has more caps than my entire squad," said Matthaeus, whose team failed to qualify for Euro 2004.

"Germany are clearly the favourites. You can't beat a Ferrari with a little car."

FORMIDABLE HUNGARY

It was all very different, though, in 1954. Formidable Hungary had not lost for over four years going into the final and had thumped Germany 8-3 in a group game earlier in the finals.

Against all odds, West Germany won that final 3-2, a feat recalled as the Miracle of Berne that gave a country devastated by World War Two and haunted by the Nazi atrocities something of which to be proud.

Sunday's game looks pale by comparison, whatever its outcome, but there is a lot at stake for a Germany team who have failed to shine since their run to the 2002 World Cup final.

Germany's 2-0 win over Switzerland on Wednesday was encouraging but fans and bookmakers are still sceptical about the potential of a team that exposed their limitations in a traumatic 5-1 defeat by Romania in April.

Voeller is expected to rely on the same starting line-up as against Switzerland, but should make many substitutions. Teenagers Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger, who were included in the squad on Wednesday, could win their first caps.

Franz Beckenbauer, who coached the 1990 team featuring Voeller and Matthaeus, reminded that Germany were the ultimate tournament specialists and should not be written off at Euro 2004 if they advance from a tough group also featuring the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Latvia.

"If we survive the first round, we can make the final," the captain of West Germany's 1974 World Cup-winning side told Saturday's Tagesspiegel daily.

Probable teams:

Germany: Oliver Kahn; Arne Friedrich, Christian Woerns, Jens Nowotny, Philipp Lahm; Bernd Schneider, Dietmar Hamann, Michael Ballack, Torsten Frings; Kevin Kuranyi, Miroslav Klose.

Hungary: Gabor Kiraly; Zoltan Szelesi, Gabor Gyepes, Roland Juhasz, Boldizsar Bodor; Laszlo Bodnar, Attila Polonkai, Mihaly Toth, Szabolcs Huszti; Zoltan Gera, Sandor Torghelle.

Referee: Steve Bennett (England)