After winning the competition for the third time in England in 1996, Germany went out in the first round in Belgium and the Netherlands in 2000 and again in Portugal four years ago.

Their World Cup form has been much better, of course, after they followed up the runners-up spot in 2002 with third place in on home soil two years ago.

Indeed, the country is still buzzing from the performances under Juergen Klinsmann in 2006 and the biggest problem for his successor Joachim Loew might be keeping expectations to manageable levels.

‘This is going to be the toughest tournament of all time,’ the coach warned recently after former great Franz Beckenbauer had marked out their country as one of the favourites.

Germany are in Group B with Poland, Croatia and co-hosts Austria. There is nothing in that group to disturb them and provided they get a decent start against the Poles in Klagenfurt on June 8, qualification should be a formality.

They were the first team to qualify but the question remains how well equipped they are to challenge for the title again after their successes of 1972, 1980 and 1996.

They certainly look better placed than this time four years ago, when the team had Michael Ballack in midfield and Oliver Kahn in goal and precious little else to be happy about.

Ballack is back and better than ever, after leading Chelsea to the Champions League final, and the return of Torsten Frings in midfield should compensate for the loss of Bernd Schneider.

Scoring goals should not be a problem with Miroslav Klose, top scorer from the World Cup, likely to be joined up front by Mario Gomez, who has made finding the net seem effortless in the last two seasons with VfB Stuttgart.

Their problem this time may come at the back. Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, 38, had a good World Cup but has not played much this season for Arsenal and may lack sharpness.

Christoph Metzelder has also missed much of the season through injury and Loew will need Per Mertesacker to stitch the defence together.

If they are to win the tournament, it will be in the style of Klinsmann -- devil-may-care attack, and hair-raising defence.

It should be fun watching them try.