Friday, June 30 2006 16:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Berlin: As dawn broke over Germany on Friday the host nation was at fever pitch awaiting a few hours later Germany's clash with Argentina in a mouth-watering World Cup quarter-final in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

Free-spirited Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann had done all he could to prepare his refreshingly attack-minded side for the daunting task of taking on the more grizzled and experienced South Americans.

While hopes are growing in the home nation that Klinsmann's young team is on its way to capturing a fourth World Cup for Germany, Argentina represent their toughest test so far.

Germany striker Miroslav Klose said Argentina would be up against it.

"Argentina are a strong team and were one of the favourites to win the World Cup before it started, but they have had the misfortune of coming up against us," Klose said.

"We hope to send them home on Friday. We know how important it is to win against Argentina," he said.

"We want to progress in this tournament so that is what we have to do," he said.

The gloves were off in the German press, with the top-selling Bild newspaper having blown up an apparent joke from Argentina forward Carlos Tevez into a front-page headline.

If the match came down to a penalty shootout, Tevez said, the head of German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was in danger.

"If I take a penalty I will hit it so hard that if I miss it, it will at least take the goalkeeper's head off," the 22-year-old said.

Bild headlined the story, "Argentina striker threatens our team."

Franz Beckenbauer, who led Germany to a World Cup triumph as a player and coach, visited the German squad at their hotel and reported they were in high spirits.

"The boys are already as self-assured as world champions," the man they call the Kaiser reported.

Meanwhile troubled Italy's preparations for their quarter-final against Ukraine on Friday were set to be overshadowed by the start of legal hearings - which were subsequently adjourned in Rome into match-fixing allegations surrounding the reigning club champions, Juventus, as well as AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio.

Thirteen players in the Italy squad in Germany play for clubs which could all be relegated if they are found guilty of trying to influence the choice of referees for matches.

And Italy players Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluca Zambrotta flew to Italy this week to visit former teammate Gianluca Pessotto, an ex-Juventus player who fell from an upper floor of Juventus' offices in an apparent suicide attempt.

Pessotto remained in intensive care after a series of operations.

Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has admitted he was struggling to concentrate on the World Cup following the incident.

"I'm finding it difficult at the moment, almost impossible, to talk about football or matches and all the emotions that you're supposed to feel at a World Cup," Buffon said.

Meanwhile, Berlin and cities around Germany were preparing for millions of people to fill the streets on Friday to watch the match on big TV screens.

The numbers at the fan areas are expected to exceed the three million who thronged the streets for Germany's last match, the 2-0 win over Sweden on Saturday.



In the quarter-finals on Saturday, England play Portugal while reigning champions Brazil face France, who beat them in the 1998 final.