Durban - German coach Joachim Loew has sought to place his side as the underdogs ahead of their World Cup semi-final against Spain at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday night.

Despite losing to the Spanish 1-0 in the final of Euro 2008, Low's side go into this match as slight favourites based on their current form, that has seen them dispose of England 4-1 and Argentina 4-0 in earlier matches.

"I can't compare my players to the Spaniards, like (Miroslav) Klose and Spain's David Villa," Loew told the Sowetan.

"They are both high-quality players, very dangerous too. Personally, though, I rate Villa higher than Klose. Unlike Klose he often drops deep and works harder for possession. He is a top scorer."

Whether or not Loew's comments are intended to give his opposition a false sense of confidence, he clearly is wary of the threat posed by the above mentioned players and will have his squad well prepared for the match.

"Spain haven't changed much from then (Euro 2008). They have Sergio Busquets for Marcos Senna and generally the team still looks the same.

"We have newcomers who, however, have showed character."?

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