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Fabio Capello Coach England?
Germany-England preview :
Of all the great FIFA World Cup? fixtures, Germany v England is one of the games guaranteed to captivate the entire footballing world.
Laden with a rich and tumultuous history, the match has featured some of the true legends of the game. Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Moore were the towering personalities in England's sole FIFA World Cup? triumph to date, at Wembley in the 1966 Final. Gerd Muller fired the extra-time winner when West Germany came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in the quarter-finals four years later in Mexico. The Germans prevailed on penalties in the Italy 1990 semi-finals, before going on to claim their third world crown. This time round, Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein provides the setting for the latest instalment in an enduring rivalry, which many on both sides would doubtless have preferred to see played later in the competition.
Germany's young team won Group D after a rollercoaster ride through the section. The critics were purring after a scintillating 4-0 victory over Australia, but a 1-0 defeat by Serbia brought the team back to earth with a bump. As it turned out, a deserved 1-0 victory over Ghana ultimately saw Die Nationalmannschaft through. As for England, the squad arrived in South Africa bristling with stars at the zenith of their careers, all of them determined to make up for past disappointments on the international stage. However, seemingly cramped by the weight of expectation, Fabio Capello's men scrambled to second spot in Group C with a crucial 1-0 win against Slovenia in their final match, following a 1-1 draw with USA and a frustrating stalemate against Algeria.
The game
Germany¨CEngland, Round of 16, Mangaung/Bloemfontein, 16.00
Both teams will take heart from weathering a crisis at the finals. Germany and England are fired up and confident of removing the first major obstacle on their path to glory. In public at least, both camps are professing delight at crossing swords so early in the knockout stages: a keen sense of anticipation and history in the making is, we are told, the dominant emotion. However, both Germany boss Joachim Low and his England counterpart Capello face potential selection difficulties. Bastian Schweinsteiger, a revelation so far in front of the Germany back four, is rated highly doubtful with injury, as is full-back Jerome Boateng. Striker Cacau is definitely out after rupturing a stomach muscle in training, but Miroslav Klose returns from suspension. For England, Wayne Rooney has lost form at the wrong time and is also carrying a knock on the ankle, as are Aaron Lennon and Michael Carrick.
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