I don't think we could expect much different from Germany. Germany is one of those teams that usually don't raise their level very much when they raise it, but don't lower it immensely either when they're having a bad day. There's a few questions that need answering, such as Torsten Fring's health, as well as Lukas Podolski's. Especially Fring's situation is quite delicate for the Germans, because not only does his team desperately require him to raise his level in these Championships, but tonight more that ever. The test facing the German midfield that Deco and Petit will provide is probably be the sternest they will have faced this tournament so far. Frings, or whomever ends up playing alongside Ballack will have to be on his game as once and for all the German captain needs a more than reliable partner to expatiate around the pitch and take over the game as he is more than capable of doing. Germany can not afford once again to have its midfield core disappear and dissipate as they've been doing lately. They were very lucky the other night not to see their mistakes come back to hurt them as they played a weaker opponent. But tonight's opponent is not likely to forgive as Austria does. Deco and Co. will definitely take advantage of any German miscalculation and put them out of this tournament if they have the chance, they won't hesitate. One battle I'm particularly looking forward to is Cristiano Ronaldo and Phillip Lahm. If Lahm plays left back again as he did against the hosts they will most likely have a very interesting go at it. Naturally the Germans will have to be extremely coordinated defensively as they will need Lahm to mark Ronaldo during the bulk of the match, but once Portugal starts to test the small defender with long frontal and diagonal passes over his head, they'll need a plan B, as he normally struggles with those, especially if they're accurate. And I definitely do not think Germany wants Metzelder or Mertesacker roaming too far out of the central defence trying to mitigate the danger of that tactic which Portugal is very likely to try . So they will have to come up with a way of containing Ronaldo not only when/if Lahm is surpassed by a long ball, but also when the Bayern Munchen defender pushes forward as he is prone to do. Although were I he tonight, I'd think about that once or twice, as it is suicidal to leave Ronaldo all by his lonesome out on the wing. Wouldn't be a bad idea actually to start Lahm as a midfielder and let him do all the attacking he wants without having to worry about Ronaldo, and maybe leave the Portuguese player to Arne Friedrich or put Marcell Jansen in again to do that task. It'll be a fascinating dynamic on that side of the pitch tonight, without forgetting that Friedrich will also have his hands full with Simao. Still I insist that the key of the whole thing tonight is the midfield contest between Deco, Petit and Ballack alongside, theoretically Frings. I'm inclined to believe that whoever dominates that section of the pitch will find themselves semifinalists, but unforeseen contingencies in football are usually the last word. Like the aforementioned injuries to key German players, those who would replace them, the performance of the goalkeepers, as well as the referee and his assistants. And one detail which I'm not sure how relevant it will be but has been talked about ad nauseam in the German press, and that's Low's conundrum of not being able to be present near the sideline tonight. A quirky decision by UEFA, but could we expect any less from them? So, those are a few things to keep an eye on, which I'm sure that along with others will arise and are bound to have a profound impact on this beautiful match.