The atmosphere in Tel-Aviv has suddenly intensified. "We're going to have to tear into them", declared Sebastian Rudy ahead of Germany's crucial 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship encounter with Spain. Usually, the Hoffenheim midfielder is better known for his individual technique than for his confrontational comments. But after their late loss to the Netherlands in their opening match, the German U-21 team now find themselves with their backs to the wall.
"The pressure's definitely increased", admitted forward Kevin Volland. "But we can't let it get the better of us." Today's match versus the Spaniards (8.30 pm), who are defending the trophy they secured in 2011, has a distinct feel of do-or-die decider about it. In the event of a German defeat, Rainer Adrion's charges will have next to no chance of progressing in the competition.
The 59-year-old coach remains optimistic about his side's prospects: "We're in good shape, physically speaking, and the different systems we've looked at seem to be working well. We need to be bold in our approach to this match." The performance of his players against the Dutch in Petah Tikvah, especially in the second half, does point towards a possible qualification for the semi-finals.
Strong Spain La Roja are undoubtedly the team to beat in Group B, which contains the winners of the last four European Under-21 Championships, as well as Russia. Like Germany, Spain went through qualifying without losing a single match. Unlike Germany, Julen Lopetegui's men emerged victorious from their opening match on Israeli soil, disposing of a solid Russia side 1-0.
The reigning champions boast an extremely competitive squad, including high-profile performers such as Isco (Malaga), Thiago (Barcelona) and Rodrigo (Benfica). In goal, David de Gea has already proven himself at Manchester United. Defender Daniel Carvajal has been in such good form domestically that Real Madrid have exercised the buy-back option in his Bayer Leverkusen contract.
And Germany? The search for the next Mario Gotze, Julian Draxler or Ilkay Gundogan within Adrion's squad has so far been in vain. But with captain Lewis Holtby of Tottenham Hotspur pulling the strings in midfield, they still made no secret of their lofty ambitions upon their arrival in the Middle East, even if there was already an element of tension evident in their ranks.
As far as Rudy is concerned, it is time to stand up and be counted: "If we want to stay in the competition, we’ll have to give our all in the next match." Adrion, meanwhile, believes that the players learned some valuable lessons from the loss to the Netherlands. "The team are capable of fighting; physically, we showed that we’re at the required level", he said. Resting mind and body The coach has refused to point the finger of blame at goalkeeper Bernd Leno, despite his disappointing display against the Oranje. "He could probably have done better at the second goal, but he's big enough to be able to assess his own performance", he added.
Prior to locking horns with Spain, the main concern surrounds rest and recovery. The hotel at which the young Germans are staying is situated on the beach, just a few minutes from the town centre, and that is where they will attempt to re-focus. "If we play aggressively, we can win the game," said Volland, who may replace Peniel Mlapa in the starting XI. A muscle injury has sidelined the Borussia Monchengladbach attacker for the rest of the tournament.