Germany players are looking forward to the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Spain with a lot of respect, but no fear of their opponents, defender Joshua Kimmich said.
"Spain have made the most stable impression so far, so it will be a tough one - for both sides," Kimmich told reporters on Monday.
The hosts on Friday will face title favourites Spain, who are the only team so far with a perfect record at the tournament.
Defender David Raum said that it's "a compliment" when people refer to the match-up in Stuttgart as an early final, but stressed: "I'm not cold sweating yet."
"We're trying to do it the other way round, so that the Spanish get scared," Raum added.
Germany last defeated Spain 36 years ago
Germany and Spain are tied as record Euros winners, with three titles each. The Germans face a task of almost historic football proportions, one that goes far beyond Kimmich and Raum's generation.
Germany's last win against Spain in a competitive match dates back to 36 years ago, when they last hosted the Euros in 1988. Rudi Völler, now the team's sporting director, scored a brace in the 2-0 group-stage win.
Spain beat Germany in their only previous two knock-out matches at big events, 1-0 victories in the Euro 2008 final and 2010 World Cup semi-finals.
Another bad memory for Germany fans is a Spanish 6-0 triumph in the 2020 Nations League. The last meeting meanwhile ended 1-1 in the 2022 World Cup group stage.
"If you want to win the tournament, there's no way around Spain. As a team, we have to find solutions," right back Kimmich said. "Of course we want to beat Spain in a tournament. Of course we want to right our own chapter, our own history."
Kimmich joked saying "perhaps we can bring Rudi on as a substitute," but stressed that they are confident thanks to the performance at the tournament so far (three wins and one draw) and the positive atmosphere throughout the country.
Germany will need to stop Spain's youngsters
Both Kimmich and Raum will have the tough task of holding down young Spain wingers Lamine Yamal (16) and Nico Williams (21).
Kimmich said that Barcelona's Yamal has a "brutal quality," but that "at the end of the day, even he can be cracked."
Raum, who surprisingly started at left back in place of Maximilian Mittelstädt in the last-16 win over Denmark, added that the entire Spanish squad has exceptional quality.
"It's quite brutal. For example, Dani Olmo is one of the key players at (my club) RB Leipzig and he is only a substitute for Spain. We'll figure out a good plan to face them and they will have some challenges as well," he said.
