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| Classy Khedira Pulls Strings for Germany - UEFA EURO 2012 Quarter-Finals |
The skill with which Sami Khedira dictated Germany's dynamic attacking game earned him the plaudits as the Mannschaft overwhelmed Greece 4-2 to reach the final four.
Khedira helped Real Madrid CF win the Spanish Liga alongside Mesut Özil, and that familiarity was evident as he linked up seamlessly with his team-mate to orchestrate Germany's attacks, feeding the playmaker on 18 occasions and ultimately topping the Castrol EDGE Index for his contribution with a score of 9.59.
Khedira was precise, completing every one of his short passes and 70 of his 78 total passes, resulting in a 90% completion rate – higher than anyone outside of Germany's back five. He was also incisive, making 11 passes into the attacking third, while only Bastian Schweinsteiger covered more ground.
Not only was his distribution first-rate, he also was a goal threat, missing the target just once from four shots, and scoring his second goal for his country. He may have to wait a while for his next, and may never get another quite as significant.
Giorgos Samaras had bundled in a Greek equaliser wholly against the run of play, and Germany needed to respond. Khedira did so in stunning fashion – Jérôme Boateng's cross picked out his late run into the box and a thumping volley flew past Michalis Sifakis in a flash. It was the ideal tonic for any possible German nerves and from there they strolled to victory.
Unsurprisingly Joachim Löw's charges dominated the match ratings and another goalscorer, Miroslav Klose, and industrious midfield metronome Schweinsteiger completed a German clean sweep.
Castrol EDGE Index: Germany v Greece
1. Sami Khedira (GER) 9.59
2. Miroslav Klose (GER) 9.29
3. Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER) 8.33
Key facts
15 – Germany's defeat of Greece brought their 15th successive competitive win, extending a national record.
11 – Germany have now scored 11 goals combined in their last three quarter-finals – this result following wins against Portugal, 3-2 at UEFA EURO 2008, and Argentina, 4-0 at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Klose has hit four of them.
6 – With six goals, Germany v Greece is the highest-scoring match at UEFA EURO 2012.
17 – Klose has now struck 17 times in major international tournaments and requires just one more to equal Gerd Müller's all-time record. Ten of these goals have been headers.
9 – Greece have been behind in nine matches in EURO finals history, and not won a single one of them (D2 L7).
Khedira helped Real Madrid CF win the Spanish Liga alongside Mesut Özil, and that familiarity was evident as he linked up seamlessly with his team-mate to orchestrate Germany's attacks, feeding the playmaker on 18 occasions and ultimately topping the Castrol EDGE Index for his contribution with a score of 9.59.
Khedira was precise, completing every one of his short passes and 70 of his 78 total passes, resulting in a 90% completion rate – higher than anyone outside of Germany's back five. He was also incisive, making 11 passes into the attacking third, while only Bastian Schweinsteiger covered more ground.
Not only was his distribution first-rate, he also was a goal threat, missing the target just once from four shots, and scoring his second goal for his country. He may have to wait a while for his next, and may never get another quite as significant.
Giorgos Samaras had bundled in a Greek equaliser wholly against the run of play, and Germany needed to respond. Khedira did so in stunning fashion – Jérôme Boateng's cross picked out his late run into the box and a thumping volley flew past Michalis Sifakis in a flash. It was the ideal tonic for any possible German nerves and from there they strolled to victory.
Unsurprisingly Joachim Löw's charges dominated the match ratings and another goalscorer, Miroslav Klose, and industrious midfield metronome Schweinsteiger completed a German clean sweep.
Castrol EDGE Index: Germany v Greece
1. Sami Khedira (GER) 9.59
2. Miroslav Klose (GER) 9.29
3. Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER) 8.33
Key facts
15 – Germany's defeat of Greece brought their 15th successive competitive win, extending a national record.
11 – Germany have now scored 11 goals combined in their last three quarter-finals – this result following wins against Portugal, 3-2 at UEFA EURO 2008, and Argentina, 4-0 at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Klose has hit four of them.
6 – With six goals, Germany v Greece is the highest-scoring match at UEFA EURO 2012.
17 – Klose has now struck 17 times in major international tournaments and requires just one more to equal Gerd Müller's all-time record. Ten of these goals have been headers.
9 – Greece have been behind in nine matches in EURO finals history, and not won a single one of them (D2 L7).
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