GDANSK – Germany coach Joachim Loew could spring a few surprises in their second Euro 2012 Group B game against Netherlands on Wednesday after his two last-minute changes paid off in the win over Portugal, he said on Monday.
Loew opted to start with forward Mario Gomez and defender Mats Hummels in place of the more experienced Miroslav Klose and Per Mertesacker.
Gomez scored the only goal of the game and Hummels laid claim to a starting spot in central defence for the rest of the tournament after an outstanding performance.
“(Ireland coach) Giovanni Trapattoni once said that coaches are no idiots,” Loew told reporters. “A coach sees things, is in constant contact with the players. The coach is very close and there are issues that help him decide. We analyse, we estimate.
“Then there are some situations where I decide out of instinct, where I go with my feeling and that is important for me personally.”
The Germans take on Netherlands in Kharkiv on Wednesday with the Dutch facing a possible early exit after losing their opening game 1-0 to Denmark.
Loew said although his surprises worked this time it did not mean he would stick with the same starting lineup.
“I am not one to say never change a winning team,” said the 52-year-old, who is in charge for a third consecutive major tournament with his team chasing their first major trophy since 1996.
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“It is possible that there are one or two changes. I do not rule it out.
“Maybe in the last training sessions there is something that will convince me to take a decision,” he said.
