Low reveals touchline torment

Low: Strange vantage point

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Germany coach Joachim Low admitted it was a lonely experience having to watch his side's Euro 2008 victory over Portugal from a box at St Jakob Park.

Low was banished to the stands for the quarter-final encounter after being handed a one-match touchline ban for clashing with Austria coach Josef Hickersberger in Germany's last Group B game.

And although Low felt distant from the action, he was delighted to see Germany put in a classy performance and win 3-2 to progress to the semi-finals.

"Uefa had laid on valerian and aspirin, which surprised me a bit," he said. "But we could follow the game completely undisturbed and also did not have to give up our mobiles.

Vantage point

"Nevertheless the lonely vantage point was very strange. I have seldom been so far away."

Germany lived up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites following defeat by Croatia and a laboured win over Austria in their group.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose put them 2-0 up inside 26 minutes before Nuno Gomes gave Portugal hope just before the break.

But Michael Ballack restored Germany's two-goal lead just after the hour and they held on despite a late header from Helder Postiga.

Potential

"We proved against Portugal that we can be strong if we call on all our potential," added Low.

"It was a game in which both teams offered will, passion and technique at a very high level."

Schweinsteiger was one of three changes for Germany, with Simon Rolfes also impressing after coming in for the injured Torsten Frings (rib).

The influential midfielder is in a race against time to recover for Wednesday's semi-final against either Croatia or Turkey, although Low is confident Rolfes can again fill the breach.

"The broken rib is still hurting," he said. "We will have to see how it goes from day to day, but tackles and fast movements are certainly not on the agenda at the moment."