Lahm Will Lead His Side Out Against Australia On Sunday.

Germany’s new captain Phillip Lahm has spoken very positively about the German national side before their opening game against Australia.

“This team is hungry, you can see it in every training session where the intensity and the enthusiasm are really high. As far as I’m concerned, this German team is the best I’ve played in.”

Even though Michael Ballack, Rene Adler, Christian Traesch, and Simon Rolfes all miss out through injury, Phillip Lahm and the rest of the Nationalelf remain confident of their chances in this summer’s tournament.

Marko Marin, one of Germany’s young attacking players, spoke of his side’s chances against Australia.

“I think the play from the wings will be dead important, that is our game. The Australians will be playing deep and it will be important to ‘tear them apart’, so to speak, by putting balls in from the wing. It is no problem having a lone striker up front, we just have to make sure he is well fed with possession. Whether I play on the left or right doesn’t matter, I can play on either side. I really hope to be in the starting line-up on Sunday and if not I will do my best as a substitute.”

The Germans are not the only ones confident of their chances at doing well in the World Cup this year. Switzerland boss Ottmar Hitzfeld, who was born in Germany, offered his opinion on Die Mannschaft’s chances this summer.

The loss of Michael Ballack is a tough pill to swallow. It’s a shock for him personally, as he would have had another chance to win the World Cup. But it’s also a shock for the Germany squad. When you lose your captain it’s very difficult. We can’t just name a player who will step into Michael Ballack’s shoes. You have to build that up from within the team. That way different players are responsible for different things. For example with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and even Miroslav Klose, they have all proven that they can be accountable for FC Bayern. They need to use their experience to tip the scales in their favour. Either way Jogi Loew will put out a strong team, Germany will be in the final four.”

Confidence is high in the German camp, and it will serve them well going into their opening game against Australia. The Socceroos will most likely look to play very defensively, which could prove very dangerous for them against an attack-minded Germany squad who are brimming with confidence. Germany’s comeback result against Bosnia just a week prior to the start of the World Cup shows the mental resolve in this young squad, whom many wrote off after injuries to key players like ex-captain Ballack.