WE ARE about to discover the scope of Germany's dominance of European soccer. Going into Euro 96, England, Italy and Holland were the only countries in this part of the world who didn't fear the prospect of facing them. The question now is whether the Czech Republic have matured sufficiently to join that elite group?

One of the more fascinating aspects of the tournament, so far, has been the planning, organisation and application of the Czechs. It has brought them an unexpected place in tomorrow's final which, I suspect, represents their own particular Everest. The stark truth is that not only can the Germans match all of those strengths, they also have additional qualities which none but the truly great teams possess.

Clearly, a critical aspect of the tie is whether Klinsmann takes his place in the German line up. Aware of the negative nature of the opposition, Germany will want to force the pace, and it will be very much easier for them to pressurise the Czechs with Klinsmann leading the attack. His return would do much to offset the loss of Moller and Reuter, both of whom are suspended.

I suspect that the German manager, Bertie Vogts, will risk Klinsmann, even if he is not 100 per cent fit because as a player, he sets them apart from other European sides.

It might not be the final the purists would have wanted. Germany should have been playing Italy for the title and things would probably have turned out that way, but for the rather eccentric line up the Italians fielded against the Czechs at group level.

So, Italy have long since departed, and, in their place, we have the negative Czechs who have surprised even their own manager, Dusan Uhrin.

Entering the finals, he claimed that, from his perspective, it was a tremendous achievement for his new, footballing nation to have actually qualified for the finals. And he added that he hoped that they wouldn't lose all their group matches.

Some people interpreted this as a touch of gamesmanship, but I believed him. Now, however, they are about to experience the ultimate challenge. The Germans that they lost to at group level will be an appreciably tougher proposition with the actual title at stake.

I have considerable respect for the Czechs, particularly the manner in which their sweeper, Kadlec, captains, organises and effectively manages the team on the field. This was particularly obvious in the semi finals when their match against France went to penalties. As the shoot out entered sudden death, I noticed a bit of an argument among the Czech players in the middle of the field. Suddenly, Kadlec took control. Emerging from the group, he proceeded to take the decisive penalty and his team were in the final.

And they have other talents. Up front, Kuka has been one of the better players in the competition. Interesting, he plays in Germany with Kaiserlautern and is certain to have a deep awareness of the way the opposition play. Nedved, a quick, left sided wing back, has a very strong shot and provides good balance down the left side.

Then there is Poborsky. Liverpool are reported to have had a long, hard look at him. He's probably their most creative player, but I don't think he's Anfield material, certainly given the abundance of right sided talent in McAteer, Redknapp and Thomas, already there.

Whatever about the outcome, it is a marvellous achievement to have got this far. From my experience of playing against Czech teams, they are traditionally strong, physical and highly organised. But they are also very predictable. And we have seen in Euro 96 that if you score first against them, they lack the flexibility to recover.

I believe Vogts has been looking to this match from the outset, simply because he knew he had charge of the best team in the tournament. He has also inherited a tried and tested formula for success in major competitions - a formula pioneered by the legendary Helmut Schoen and further developed by Franz Beckenbauer.

He will see it as entirely logical that Germany should be champions and I wouldn't disagree with him. Entertainment won't be a consideration: the group matches were the platform for pretty football. Having removed Italy and England as their most serious challengers, they will be looking to finish a job that has been tackled with stunning professionalism.

Germany will win. And when they do, I will be happy in the knowledge that the best team has taken the spoils.