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The German national team will kick-off their UEFA EURO 2012 campaign with a Group B match against Portugal in Lviv later on Saturday. Germany coach Joachim Löw will be hoping for one or two goals by star striker Miroslav Klose, who is celebrating his 34th birthday today.
“It is time (to win the title),” Löw told the media during the pre-match press conference yesterday. Germany is waiting for their first major title since winning the UEFA EURO in 1996, and the Portuguese team will be the first hurdle they face, on their mission to glory. “Portugal are a team who can beat anybody,” warned the coach. “They have very good players who play for big clubs, and they have always been a top nation in tournaments.” “I don’t just mean Cristiano Ronaldo, who of course has fantastic skills and can decide games on his own, but also Nani, Pepe etc. Portugal have a strong backbone and are technically very strong. Ronaldo is definitely the star who can decide matches, but they have many other world-class players in their team,” said Löw.
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Experienced Miroslav Klose could be the main hitman for the Germans in a tough Group B. The Lazio striker turns 34 today, and he has always proved to be a lethal weapon for the three-time European champions. Klose is expected to start against Paulo Bento’s team, but there have been doubts about his fitness level yesterday. Klose opted to skip the shooting training due to some pains in his ankle joint. Bayern striker Mario Gomez would replace him, if Klose fails the final test ahead of the match. The German team will conduct a small birthday felicitation for Klose at 14.00 CET (17.30 IST / 13.00 GMT). The team will present the striker a birthday cake, and sing a birthday song according to team sources. Joachim Löw will meet the players for a final team meeting at 16.00 CET, before the team departs to the stadium at 18.30 CET.
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