Germany's national soccer player Philipp Lahm warms-up with the ball during a training session ahead of the Euro 2012 in Gdansk, June 7, 2012.THOMAS BOHLEN/Reuters
Third. Second. Third.
Close but no cigar.
After flirting with the winner's enclosure in the last three tournaments, Germany will know that anything but the title will be considered a failure this time around. Its players know how to win, they've developed, matured, and have become entirely comfortable with head coach Joachim Loew's fluid, attacking system.
Saturday provides their first test to see how good they can be.
And what a test it is. Portugal may not possess the in-depth strength of its Group B rival, but in players like Cristiano Ronaldo – at one point considered the best player in the world – it certainly has the talent to stretch one of the tournament favourites.
Germany's player to watch: Mesut Oezil
With an average age of just 24.9 years, the Germans are the youngest side in the tournament, and the 23-year-old Oezil epitomizes the youth on display. Fresh off helping Real Madrid to the Spanish title – more than ably assisted by 60 goals from Ronaldo – the midfield playmaker is ready to put his emerging talents on display in one of the world's biggest showcases. His metronomic passing lit up the World Cup two years ago – especially in the 4-1 second-round win over long-time rival England, and "Nemo," as his Madrid teammates call him for his resemblance to a certain cartoon fish, will need to be at his very best if he is to help Germany to a first international title since the 1996 European championship.
Portugal's player to watch: Raul Meireles
Everyone knows what Ronaldo can do – although he has often struggled to do it in a Portugal shirt – but it will be what happens behind him that will make or break his country's chances. The Chelsea midfielder played a big role in helping Chelsea to the Champions League title last month – though he missed the final through suspension – scoring some important goals along the way. His versatility across the middle of the park will be important in Portugal's counter-attacking style, particularly when it comes to threading the ball through to his more famous teammate to let him do what he does best.
Injury woes
Germany has no concerns entering the match, with Arsenal centre back Per Mertesacker passed fit to play after suffering a knock in Germany's 5-3 loss to Switzerland and missing the last three months of the Premier League season.
Portugal is not quite so fortunate, with Manchester United winger Nani still a doubt after injuring his right foot in last weekend's 3-1 defeat to Turkey.
Quotable
"It's okay, it's for a good cause. We [he and his wife] were going to the Bahamas [for their honeymoon] but that can wait."
Portugal right-back Miguel Lopes on postponing his May 26 wedding after receiving his first national team call-up.
Did you know?
Despite often being derided as a machine-like, win-at-all costs national team program, Germany actually conceded fewer fouls than any other team in Euro 2012 qualifying.
Memorable meeting
After being a semi-finalist in 2000 and beaten finalist in 2004 at home – to say nothing of a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup – Portugal was fancied to go one step better in Euro 2008. It reckoned without the power of the Germans, the team that had beaten Portugal in that third-place World Cup playoff, and the Mannschaft wasted no time demonstrating its superiority in the quarter-final four years ago, powering into a 2-0 lead inside the first half-hour and hanging on the rest of the way for a 3-2 win.
Prediction
Germany 2-1 Portugal
Paul Attfield