Turkish delight?

Germany’s national soccer players have their eye on the prize. The team has already booked its ticket to next year's UEFA European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, but that doesn't mean the players are ready to let up in their next two qualifying matches.

If Germany beat Turkey on Friday and then Belgium next Tuesday, they'll have won ten out of ten games in a row. It's something no German team has ever done.

"The record is a nice little extra, an extra we want," said Philipp Lahm, the team's captain.

And yet, Lahm said, "the prizes won't be handed out until next year."

Now it's no longer about the group ticket to Euro 2012, but each player's individual ticket. Each place in the squad is highly coveted and the country's young football talents are lining up to for a chance to play for Germany.

"Now it's about the spots on the Euro squad," said Lahm. "That ought to be enough motivation to keep the players to giving it their all."

Turkey are currently in second place in the group, and are hoping to secure a berth in the play-offs and eventually qualify for the finals. But third-placed Belgium are waiting to pounce, should Turkey slip up.

However, German coach Joachim Löw doesn't want to appear too confident ahead of the match against Turkey. Germany's emphatic 3:0 victory in the home match did not reveal Turkey's true potential, he said.

"They didn't show their true colors in Berlin," he said. "There will also be a lot of different emotions and motivations out on the field. I know that from personal experience."

Question marks over Özil and Klose

While striker Mario Gomez has been given the green light to play after being injured, it's still not clear whether Miroslav Klose and Mesut Özil will be fit enough. For Özil there's also the peculiar situation of playing in Istanbul as a German with Turkish roots. It would be the first time he’s worn the German jersey on a Turkish football field.

"Mesut is desperate to play," Löw said, shooting down rumors Özil had asked the coach to let him off the hook for the match.

In an interview on the German Football Association website, Özil made it clear he isn't afraid to play in Turkey and that the jeering and boos directed at him during the Berlin match weren't a big deal for him. He even scored a goal in that match but kept his celebrations muted. Dortmund's Mario Götze is the obvious choice to take over his role, Löw said.

Sami Khedira, Özil's teammate at Real Madrid, will likely get a lot of playing time, as will Bastian Schweinsteiger, who's set to make his 90th appearance for the national team. But whatever happens, Löw, who's fast approaching his 50th victory in charge of the national team, says it won't affect the Germany's overall trajectory.

Turkey's coach, Guus Hiddink, on the other hand is looking for a win, something has described as a "dream result," he said. He would be happy even with just a draw, he added.

"Germany is the favorite, not just for this match but for Euro 2012 as a whole," he said.

Author: Olivia Fritz / hf
Editor: Martin Kuebler