Germany went back to the future to reach the final of UEFA EURO 2008™, taking us back to the days when they seemed to beat opponents through sheer strength of will.
Twelve years after last gracing a final at EURO '96™, the term 'German efficiency' was back on the tips of tongues from Basel to the Bosphorus as Joachim Löw's men defeated Turkey with their only three shots on target. The scoreline was the same as in the impressive quarter-final victory against Portugal but the performance recalled the Mannschaft's stuttering group-stage displays which led one newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, to suggest with its words "Please continue stumbling along" that Germany were once again the masters of grinding out a result.
Lucky 13
It certainly looked that way on a night where a decimated Turkey side outdid Germany in most departments – possession, passing, shooting – save for the most important one. Though lining up with the same 4-2-3-1 formation that brought match-winning displays out of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Ballack against Portugal, Germany were second-best in a first half Turkey dominated. Ballack had gone into the game with the praise of his coach warming his ears. Löw believes his captain's physical condition has never been better, nor his influence greater. A beaten UEFA Champions League finalist with Chelsea FC last month and Bayer 04 Leverkusen previously, Ballack was seeking to reach another European final and the No13 must have come out of it believing his luck might hold this time.
Mehmet shadow
Ballack barely got a kick in the opening period, save for the one administered on his ankle by Mehmet Aurélio, the holding midfielder assigned with shadowing him. There was only one hint of Ballack's menace in the half, when he flicked on a Philipp Lahm cross and looked set to pounce as the ball bounced back his way only for Mehmet Topal to clear. Ballack had been keen to adopt the 4-2-3-1 system and yet it was the attacking midfielders in Turkey's identical set-up who caught the eye. Uğur Boral was a tireless presence, bombing up and down the left and squeezing the ball through Jens Lehmann's legs for the opening goal. Inside him Hamit Altıntop always appeared to have time on the ball.
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