Germany tune in to check out opponents

Joachim Löw knows Germany have ridden their luck at times during UEFA EURO 2008™ but hopes that their "winning mentality" will stand them in good stead for Sunday's final.

Late drama
Philipp Lahm's late goal in Basel on Wednesday night gave Germany a 3-2 semi-final win against Turkey in a match where they were outplayed for long periods, but the coach knowns it is only results which count. "Sure, we haven't been as consistent as we would have wished so far but we have seen strong sides such as Portugal, Croatia or the Netherlands who couldn't win games when it really mattered," he said. "The important thing is that we continue to believe in ourselves, produce the winning mentality on the day and at the end, win the game."

Tense tie
At St. Jakob-Park, the 48-year-old was treated to a rollercoaster ride as his side went a goal down and then seemingly let a decisive lead slip before claiming a place in the final. "Both teams created a great deal of tension yesterday and really wanted to make it to the final," he said. "It didn't always go as we hoped. Turkey varied the tempo well and they are capable of playing fantastic football. We are delighted to have survived the match. We are in the final now and are no longer under any pressure."

Final opponents
Löw and his side will thus be watching tonight's second semi-final between Spain and Russia in a relaxed frame of mind. "Neither team is in the semi-final by accident and they are both capable of playing excellent football," he said. "Russia can play incredibly quickly, are technically and physically strong and can bypass the midfield at pace. Spain have world class players such as [Andrés] Iniesta, Xavi [Hernández], [Fernando] Torres and [David] Villa. I wouldn't like to make a prediction on the outcome of tonight's game."

'Something very special'
The coach has already achieved something notable, being the first German boss to lead his side to the final in his first tournament in sole command since Jupp Derwall in the 1980 UEFA European Championship. "For me, progressing to the final is a wonderful experience," said Löw, who stepped up from being Jürgen Klinsmann's assistant after the 2006 FIFA World Cup. "At the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup against Brazil and in the 2006 World Cup against Italy, I was twice co-trainer of losing semi-finalists. To have made it now is something very special and I am very much enjoying it."