AFP, Lille :
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer believes the world champions can put a slow start to Euro 2016 behind them and thrive under the pressure of knockout football when they face Slovakia on Sunday.
Joachim Loew’s side progressed to the last 16 as winners of Group C, beating Ukraine and Northern Ireland, drawing with Poland and all without conceding a single goal.
But Neuer knows better is expected from the Germans at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille as they face a Slovak side appearing at this stage of a Euro for the first time since independence.
“We have played three teams who pack everyone behind the ball. We didn’t have much space and in games like these it’s not easy to win by a large margin,” said Neuer after Germany mustered just three goals in the group phase.
“Beating the likes of Ukraine and Northern Ireland does not merit us shouting out with joy. It is not easy to beat these teams but we got the job done.
“We finished top of our group and so we have stuck to our route map. But now we are into straight knockout football and anything can happen.
“But we are very good at focusing when it really matters, as we have seen in past competitions. We will be 100 percent on it and we know people are expecting us to perform.”
Despite topping their group, Germany have found themselves on the toughest side of the draw and will play either reigning champions Spain or bogey team Italy if they make it through to the quarter-finals.
But they must first be wary of Slovakia, who unsettled Loew’s side in the build-up to the tournament by winning a friendly 3-1 in Augsburg.
Those were the last goals Neuer conceded and he knows Germany need to be especially wary of Slovakia star Marek Hamsik, who was among the scorers in that game.
“Everyone knows about Hamsik’s ability to shoot from range. He scores some great goals at Napoli with those,” Neuer said.
“In the group phase he didn’t often get into forward positions. It’s important that our midfielders disturb the rhythm of his game early on. But we shouldn’t focus on just one player, we need to look at our opponents as a whole.”
All eyes will be on Loew’s selection decisions in defence, with centre-back Jerome Boateng struggling with a calf knock and youngster Joshua Kimmich hoping to keep his place at right-back after impressing there against Northern Ireland.
