Stats: Can India overcome the German challenge in Raipur?
Germany are the current Olympic champions and there is little denying the fact that they really come hard at the opposition. Hosts India will have their task cut out when they lock horns with them on Saturday in Raipur. Of course, the Roelant Oltmans-coached side have managed to mitigate their overwhelming dominance of the European giants, who used to make mincemeat of us over the years.
India seems to have some measure of the Germans if their recent performances against them are any indication. The last time two teams met at the 2014 Champions Trophy, it was a hard-fought match with no quarter given and no quarter asked for. The first three quarters did not produce any goals and India were done in by a final minute strike form Florian Fuchs, undoing all the good work the Blueshirts had dished out in the 69 minutes of play.
Since the 2012 London Olympics, where India lost to Germany 2-5, both teams have met four times with Germany winning twice, India winning once and one game ending in a draw. Prior to the 2014 Champions Trophy clash, India chalked their first win over Germany in five years when they rode on a hat-trick by Mandeep Singh to win 5-4 in the 2014 Hockey World League Final Round in New Delhi – India had earlier played out a fighting 3-3 draw in the same event. The Blueshirts did their reputation no harm when they waged a grim battle only to lose 2-3 at the 2012 Champions Trophy in Melbourne.
India vs Germany Recent Head-to-Head Record
| Result | Tournament | Goal Scorer |
| Lost 0-1 | 2014 Champions Trophy | Florian Fuchs |
| Won 5-4 | 2014 Hockey World League Final Round | Mandeep Singh 3, Rupinder Pal Singh 2 |
| Drew 3-3 | 2014 Hockey World League Final Round |
Dharamvir Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh
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| Lost 2-3 | 2012 Champions Trophy | Gurwinder Singh Chandi, Nitin Thimmaiah |