Germany vs. Greece: 5 Bold Predictions for Euro 2012 Quarterfinal

Germany and Greece have booked their spots in the quarterfinals of Euro 2012.

For one, the road ends here. For the other, it's on to the semifinals.

So, who ya got?

Will it be more of the same from Germany, who dominated the so-called "Group of Death"? Or will Greece claim another famous upset at the European Championship?

Here are five bold predictions for the match, which will be held Friday in Gdansk, Poland.

Greece Will Score… and You Still Won't Know How

Don't ask why. It will only drive you crazy.

To be sure, little about Greece's run to the quarterfinals makes sense. They don't have a particularly dangerous attack, and their defense is considerably less fearsome than the one they rode to the Euro 2004 title.

Yet here they are. and what's more, they've scored against every team they've played so far.

Germany will present a much sterner test than Greece have faced so far, but the Greeks will still score.

There's no particular reason to believe it, but then again, there's no particular reason the Greeks should be here at all.

Don't ask why. It will only drive you crazy.

Headers

Greece allowed only three goals in the group stage, but as Poland showed, they can be vulnerable to quick attacks and headers.

It makes sense, too, considering the organized, compact nature of the Greek defense. To beat Greece, an offense must move quickly and directly, as such movements often result in aerial crosses and headers.

Expect to see Germany attack quickly. Expect them to attack directly.

And expect them to score with a header at least once.

Gomez Double

It's hardly bold to predict a goal from Mario Gomez. The big striker scores in bunches for both club and country.

How about another double, though?

Gomez was in irresistible form during the first half against Holland, and he's always dangerous when he's on the pitch.

You want bold? Here you go.

Two goals for Gomez. One from a header.

No Runaway

This might not be the blowout most probably expect.

Apart from the opening 10 minutes of the Czech Republic match, Greece's defense has made life difficult on opposing offenses.

As Greece showed in 2004, a shutdown defense is enough to carry a team far in the European Championship.

Will it do the same this time? Probably not, but it could keep the score respectable against a loaded German squad.

Germany to Win

All the same, it's hard to imagine Germany losing this match.

Joachin Löw is happy with his squad's form, and the team is too good, from back to front.

Manuel Neuer is a top-class keeper, Holger Badstuber and Mats Hummels have forged an excellent partnership in the middle of the defense ,and full-back Philipp Lahm steadies the team as captain and natural leader.

Much has been made of the German midfield, and rightly so. Apart from Spain, no international team in the world can match it.

With a lethal scorer like Mario Gomez up top, this team will be hard to beat.

Someone may do it at this tournament, but it won't be Greece.

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