QUALIFICATION MOTIVATION FOR LOEW
EVIAN – The host nation’s bulging euphoria over France’s Euro 2016 semifinal qualification is added motivation for Germany as they prepare to face them on Thursday in Marseille.
The Germans, who will need to shuffle their line-up due to injuries to Sami Khedira and Mario Gomez and the suspension of defender Mats Hummels, are preparing to face a team brimming with confidence.
“Such games are just great,” said coach Joachim Loew, who led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title in Brazil. His team reached the last four after an agonising penalty shoot-out win over Italy on Saturday.
“It is motivation for us, this euphoria. In Brazil it was similar in the [2014 World Cup] semifinals with a country of 200-million people. But we did it quite well against them.”
Germany did much more than that, crushing the hosts 7-1 in Belo Horizonte in an extraordinary semifinal, leaving millions of Brazilians in a state of shock.
“We did it well then and we will do it well this time again,” Loew said.
The French secured their lastfour spot with a 5-2 demolition of Iceland on Sunday, scoring four times in the first half to dash any hopes for the tournament’s surprise team.
“France had an outstanding game yesterday although they did struggle a bit at the start of the tournament, scoring late and winning the games like that,” Loew said.
“For them this was a bit of liberation, especially leading 4-0. They are now brimming with confidence, playing at home in Marseille with a fanatic crowd backing them.
“They are the absolute favourites with a home advantage and yesterday they tanked on confidence,” the 56-year-old said.
Loew, who could also be without captain Bastian Schweinsteiger due to a ligament injury, was confident he had the manpower to get into the final as the Germans bid for a fourth continental crown.
Versatile midfielder Emre Can could slip into the holding role alongside Toni Kroos, with Julian Weigl a further option.