Jerome Boateng expects ‘a heck of a game’ for Italy-Germany, and reassures his fitness conditions are fine.

It kicks off on Saturday at 20:00 UK time. The defender is among the few in the tournament who matches Italy’s ‘BBC’ wall regarding class and reliability.

He may not be at his best, however, as he has reported calf trouble recently. Furthermore, he has already been booked once, and cannot risk another yellow card, or he’d have to skip the semi-final.

“It will be important that we work slowly through our game and not blindly run into things,” Boateng told the Press. “I will go into this game like any other. The yellow card doesn’t matter to me.

“My calf is fine too. It won’t be an issue. This is going to be a heck of a game, and we want to leave the pitch as winners.”