Germany have long ago secured the first place in the group, but they have continued to play it fair and square, as witnessed by the win over Turkey on Friday. Belgium might need to win this match in order to go through, but as good a side as they are, the Red Devils don’t have what it takes to avoid defeat in Germany.

Ten out of ten?

Germany are without a doubt one of in-form teams in Euro 2012 qualifiers and Joachim Low’s side have been simply relentless during this qualifying campaign. The 9-0-0 record and 31:6 goal difference do speak for themselves, but it is the quality of their football that has already made Die Mannschaft one of the hot favourites for the Euro 2012 title. With no less than 7 out of 11 starters coming from Bayern Munich, the team that have been in amazing form at the start of the season, nobody is surprised that Germany are doing so well at the moment, while any speculations that Joachim Low’s side could take their foot off gas after clinching qualification were refuted by the impressive win over Turkey. The Germans now have a unique chance to end the qualifiers with a 100% record and are unlikely to miss such a good opportunity, especially playing in front of their own fans.

Joachim Low already revealed that he plans to field the strongest possible line-up, so we can expect the same line-up that beat Turkey on Friday.

A mountain to climb

Belgium are considered to be one of the most talented national teams in Europe, but this team are struggling to fulfill its potential and everything suggests they will again miss out on the place at the major tournament. The team have shown a lot of promise at the start of the qualifying campaign, but unlucky defeats to Germany and Turkey, as well as draws against Austria and Azerbaijan could end up costing them a second place in the group. While the 4:1 win over Kazakhstan left the Red Devils in contention for a place in the play-offs, the victory came at a cost as a number of first team regulars picked up injuries, whereas key defender Daniel Van Buyten received a yellow card that incurs automatic suspension. Seeing that boss Georges Leekens doesn’t have such a big squad to choose from, the latest problems are likely to damage Belgium’s chances in this clash.

Van Buyten misses out through suspension, while Mertens, Simons and Vertonghen are expected to start after shaking off minor knocks. Team’s star forward Eden Hazard is a major doubt with injury.

Verdict

There are no doubts that Germany will take this game seriously, so we can expect another strong performance from Die Mannschaft. Belgium need a win here in order to make the play-offs, but that looks like mission impossible considering Germany’s current form. Clear home win for me.

Our prediction: Germany with -1.5 Asian handicap

Odds: 2.15 (23/20)

Bookmaker: Victor Chandler