Germany captain Philipp Lahm is relishing the challenge of facing England in the last 16 of the World Cup.
Germany captain in confident mood
Germany captain Philipp Lahm is relishing the challenge of facing England in the last 16 of the World Cup.
England had already secured second place in Group C by the time Germany took to the field against Ghana on Wednesday night.
Mesut Ozil's goal gave Joachim Low's men a 1-0 victory, which was good enough to clinch top spot in Group D and set up a clash with England on Sunday afternoon.
The last time the two sides met in a World Cup finals match was in 1990, when West Germany beat England on penalties in the semi-finals.
There have been some memorable encounters between the teams over the years and Lahm expects the latest game to rank among the best.
Anticipation
"The duel against England is of course a classic," said the full-back. "The anticipation ahead of it is huge."
Lahm feels Germany can make it past their fierce rivals, but only if they improve from their performances in the group phase.
He said: "We are looking ahead with confidence. But we know that we have to do some things better."
Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff does not think there is much to choose between the teams but has attempted to relieve the pressure on his men by suggesting they might just be underdogs.
"Perhaps it is an advantage not to be the absolute favourite against England," said Bierhoff.
