GROUP FOUR RUSSIA v GERMANY: History is on their side but the current German side are not the powerhouse of old, something Russia mean to exploit, writes Stuart James
GUUS HIDDINK was exaggerating a little but everyone understood the point the Russia coach was trying to make when he reflected on the fine margins at the top of Group Four. “Germany have been in the World Cup since Bismarck,” the Dutchman said. “They are always there. Even when they don’t play beautiful football.”
That may be the perception, yet Russia are in a position to make World Cup qualification uncomfortable for Germany when two of European football’s heavyweights meet in Moscow this afternoon (4.0). Victory for Hiddink’s side would allow them to seize top spot and, providing there is no slip-up against Azerbaijan on Wednesday, condemn Germany to a two-legged play-off and a repeat of the scenario they faced before the 2002 World Cup finals.
With the game being played on the artificial pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium, where Russia have not staged an international since beating England two years ago, there is a quiet confidence among Hiddink’s players and an air of apprehension filtering through the Germany camp.
Kicker, the respected German football magazine, captured the mood this week with its headline “Die Angst Spielt mit”, which translates as “fear plays with us”. Bild, the tabloid, did little to raise spirits when it reported that the national team failed to score during two practice matches against Mainz reserves.
One glance at Germany’s qualification record makes you wonder what all the fuss is about – 22 out of 24 points have been collected – but this has been far from a memorable qualification campaign. On the pitch Germany had to come from behind three times to rescue a 3-3 draw in Finland and they struggled to break down Wales at home. Off the field Michael Ballack has publicly questioned Joachim Löw’s selection policy, as have former players such as Gerd Müller.
“When you see what strikers we have in the national team today, in my day, they would not have even been allowed to even sniff the ball,” said Müller, alluding to the poor form of Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Mario Gómez, who have managed only four Bundesliga goals between them in a combined 20 appearances this season.
Löw has defended his favoured trio but the feeling persists that change is needed and that Gómez, in particular, has been given one chance too many. The Bayern Munich striker went 14 months and 15 matches without scoring for Germany before bagging four against the United Arab Emirates in June. At one stage Löw suggested he would be happy to encourage the 24-year-old to consult a psychiatrist to help him transfer his club form on to the international stage.
Despite his travails, Gómez is likely to start against Russia as a lone striker. Löw has preferred to play with one out-and-out attacker ever since he moved to a 4-2-3-1 formation for the quarter-final victory over Portugal in the European Championship last year. In Moscow, however, it seems likely that Löw, mindful that a point would leave Germany on the brink of qualification, could select three holding midfielders.
Hiddink is optimistic that Russia can inflict a first defeat on Germany. “I know German football and the strength of their team well enough. It’s a powerhouse,” he said. “The Germans have never failed to reach the World Cup finals. But it doesn’t mean we can’t beat them..”
Guardian Service
RUSSIA (probable):Akinfeyev; Anyukov, Ignashevich, Berezutsky, Yanbayev or Zhirkov; Denisov, Semak, Bystrov, Zyryanov; Arshavin, Pogrebnyak or Kerzhakov
Germany (probable):Neuer; Lahm, Mertesacker, Westermann, Schaefer; Ballack, Hitzlsperger; Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Podolski; Gomez.
