DORTMUND, July 3: Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann has kept a settled 4-4-2 formation throughout the World Cup while Italy boss Marcello Lippi has changed his lineup for every match and operated a number of tactical systems.
In the quarter-final with Ukraine, Italy used Luca Toni as a lone striker but Lippi might be tempted to bring back forward Alberto Gilardino for Tuesday's showdown with Germany and switch to a 4-3-1-2 system with Francesco Totti behind two forwards.
GERMANY:
Defence — Germany's tall centre backs, Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder, have improved beyond all recognition since their nervous start in a 4-2 win over Costa Rica.
The hosts kept clean sheets against Poland, Ecuador and Sweden and conceded just once from a corner against Argentina in the quarter-final, which ended 1-1 after 90 and 120 minutes before Germany won 4-2 on penalties.
Fullback Philipp Lahm, who scored the first goal of the tournament against Costa Rica, takes every opportunity to get forward on the left. Arne Friedrich is less active on the right, usually relying on passes to Bernd Schneider as his outlet.
Midfield — Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings form an aggressive partnership in the centre of an orthodox four-man midfield.
Ballack gets forward more often, leaving Frings to scurry around in a defensive role. Ballack is an excellent header of the ball and will be the dangerman at set-pieces. Both central midfielders will try their luck with long shots if given space.
Left winger Bastian Schweinsteiger has not been in his best form at this World Cup but can be a big threat, particularly when combining with his Bayern Munich team mate Lahm.
Attack — Striker Miroslav Klose has scored five times for the second World Cup in succession. His all-round play has been excellent, too. He acts as a target man and will try to chest the ball down and control it rather than head it on to striker partner Lukas Podolski, who has scored three goals himself.
Oliver Neuville, a skilful ball player, is the super-sub and came off the bench to get a last-gasp winner against Poland.
Klinsmann also tends bring on midfielder Tim Borowski, an elegant passer, and the terrifyingly quick winger David Odonkor if Germany need a goal.
ITALY:<.b>
Defence — With Alessandro Nesta almost certain to miss out again due to a groin injury, Marco Materazzi, who was suspended for the quarter-final win over Ukraine, is expected to return in place of the relatively inexperienced Andrea Barzagli.
Captain Fabio Cannavaro has been in outstanding form at the heart of an Azzurri defence that has conceded just one goal in five matches and will win his 99th cap against Germany.
Fullbacks Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso like to get forward and have done so to good effect in the knockout stage.
Grosso's run in the last minute against Australia secured the penalty that won the game. Against Ukraine, Zambrotta opened the scoring with a fine solo goal and then set up Luca Toni's second strike to make it 3-0.
Midfield — The most stable part of Lippi's team.
Andrea Pirlo operates in a deep, playmaker's role in front of the defence with Gennaro Gattuso and Simone Perrotta covering plenty of ground in their harrying roles ahead of him.
If Lippi plays with two out-and-out strikers then Francesco Totti, showing signs of returning to full form after his three-month injury lay off, will be expected to play as an attacking midfielder.
A lone striker system would mean Argentine-born winger Mauro Camoranesi getting another chance in his free role on the right flank.
Forwards — With a single striker, Totti would be free to play close to the front line but if Lippi opts for a more offensive lineup, with Gilardino and Toni operating as a pair, then Totti will drift deeper.
Italy's nine goals have come from eight different players — Toni scored twice against Ukraine while Gilardino, Totti, Filippo Inzaghi and Vincenzo Iaquinta have all found the target once.
Inzaghi is likely to start on the bench but is an option if the Italians need a goal in the second half, while Iaquinta could offer fresh legs if Toni tires.—Reuters