Germany take nothing for granted

Holders Germany have been in typically dominant mood at the 2007 UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship, yet despite their 100 per cent record in the group stages the players are taking nothing for granted as they prepare to meet France.

Pride
It is only 12 months since Germany ended a four-year wait for silverware by sweeping aside Les Bleuettes 3-0 in a one-sided final in Berne, but there is a sense that Thursday's last-four fixture may not be so easy. "We have a good chance against France although we are not the favourites," said midfielder Julia Simic. "It is 50:50 and whoever plays better on the day will win but if you look at our results over the opening week then we can be very proud of ourselves."

'Not finished'
That, as Simic's FC Bayern München club-mate Nicole Banecki was not shy to point out, amounted to "the team winning every match". It gives a sense of the collectiveness in the camp, particularly impressive given that Banecki, sister of Werder Bremen's Francis, could be forgiven for feeling she had a point to prove. A precocious member of the party that reached the last four in Hungary in 2005, the 18-year-old was left out last summer as Germany claimed the title in Switzerland. Yet she is focussed on the team goal, insisting: "we're very happy now but we are not finished yet".

Experience
Simic, meanwhile, is one of the youngest members of Maren Meinert's charges and is far from finished having made her first start at this level in the 4-2 victory over Iceland on Monday. She is likely to return to the substitutes' bench for the France match but, eligible for next year, she is keen to absorb as much as she can from the members of the squad who were involved 12 months ago. "We have six players from last year – our leaders – and their experience is very important," she said. Whether it will be enough to overcome France again will be decided in Reykjavik.