Italy and Germany play a high-profile friendly match in Milan on Friday after both teams ran a highly successful qualifying campaign to book their places for the 2014 World Cup.
Germany's pace in their group was impressive, with nine wins, one draw and 36 goals scored, making Joachim Loew's attack force the best in Europe.
Germany moved to second in the Fifa rankings, and are among the favourites to win the World Cup in Brazil, where they will be seeking
a fourth title.
Italy, who with four World Cup titles are second only to Brazil's five, closed their qualifying campaign with two draws, slipping out of the group of eight seeded teams for the tournament draw scheduled for December 6.
Both coaches praised their opponents ahead of Friday's game.
Italy manager Cesare Prandelli noted the steady improvement of the Germans under Loew, and praised the overall organisation of the German football federation.
"They should be taken as a model," Prandelli said. "Maybe for us it is time to change things. The projects of our youth sectors do not have long-term support."
Loew said he expects to find out something new about his players against the Italians.
"We wanted friendlies in November in which we can still learn something. And there is no better opponent for that than Italy," said Loew, whose team will then head to London to play England on Tuesday.
The German coach said the Italians were masterful, especially regarding tactics.
"You can really learn a lot from the Italian coolness, their cleverness and merciless efficiency."
At the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan, Prandelli plans an attack comprising Serie A top striker Giuseppe Rossi and the inconsistent Mario Balotelli.
Rossi has fully recovered from knee surgery and has netted 11 goals from 12 games for Fiorentina. But he has been battling tonsillitis and a fever since arriving this week at the Azzurri's camp in Coverciano.
Prandelli hopes he'll recover, and is looking to stir up Balotelli from a dull spell at AC Milan, with only three goals scored as the Devils languish on 13 points from 12 games.
"Rossi is a guy with great personal qualities, which grew stronger with his injury," Prandelli said. "He can play as first or second striker, and he not only has the ability to score, but also to make the team play well.
"Mario is going through a particular period, but if you have character, these moments can make you stronger. He must be able to live under pressure."
Although not in top form, Balotelli is likely to worry Germany, who will recall his brace in a 2-1 defeat in the semifinals of Euro 2012.
With seven months left before the World Cup kicks off, Prandelli has also called back defender Domenico Criscito from Zenit St Petersburg and in-form Parma midfielder Marco Parolo, who played a handful of minutes for the Azzurri in 2011.
Germany, for their part, will probably be without the injured Miroslav Klose, and Loew will definitely not have the services of the Arsenal duo Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker, both of whom are still in London recovering from flu.
Italy holds the all-time advantage over Germany with 15 wins, seven defeats and nine draws. The Germans' last victory dates back to 1995 and has been followed by four defeats and two draws.
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