'England will win'

Germany legends Oliver Kahn and Jurgen Klinsmann believe their team will finish second best to Fabio Capello's boys in the Last 16 clash tonight

Germany legends Oliver Kahn and Jurgen Klinsmann believe their team will finish second best to Fabio Capello's boys in the Last 16 clash tonight

BLOEMFONTEIN: England can defeat an 'inexperienced' German side if Fabio Capello can convince the players to 'forget the past' goalkeeping legend Oliver Kahn told goal.com yesterday.

Ahead of Sunday's second round showdown, Kahn, who won 86 caps keeping goal for Germany, said England were at a psychological disadvantage due to their poor record in penalty shootoutsu00a0including two agonising semi-final spot kick exits at the hands of the Germans in the 1990 World Cup and at Euro 96.

u00a0Klinsmann

"Germany definitely have a psychological advantage and it will be in the minds of even the current England players what has happened in the past, especially with the penalty shoot-outs. They must erase the memories of 1990 and 1996."

He added: "If Fabio Capello can convince England that they are playing for nowu00a0-- and nothing that has happened in the past mattersu00a0-- if they can win that battle in their mindsu00a0 then England can beat an inexperienced German sideu00a0-- England can winu00a0-- anything is possible, but they must forget the past."

Meanwhile, football legend Jurgen Klinsmann waded into the debate and thinks "outstanding"" England could come out on top.

At the beginning of the World Cup, German great Franz Beckenbauer rekindled the rivalry between the two footballing powers by criticising England's style of play and is backing Germany to win in Bloemfontein.

"You need to respect this team but not fear them because they were poor during their first two matches of this World Cup," Beckenbauer wrote in his column for German daily Bild during the week.

Kahn

But Klinsmann, like Beckenbauer a former Germany player and manager, says England have the strength to snuff out the dreams of the three-times winners.

"We are talking about an England team that, when they are up to it and have reached their capabilities, is an outstanding team," he was quoted as saying in Britain's Sun newspaper. "Just look at the players.

You have Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard and then Wayne Rooney up front. England have players who can really make a difference.

"They have had their problems in South Africa but many teams have had difficulties. Take Italy, France and Spain."