Lukas Podolski has warned Poland that if they set up a Euro 2012 quarter-final clash with Germany, they will lose .
Having been born in Gliwice, the Cologne attacker has strong emotional ties with the tournament co-hosts and he is desperate to see Franciszek Smuda s men progress to the knockout stages.
However, while Podolski freely admits that facing the land of his birth in Gdansk in the last eight would be a special moment for him, he insisted that he would be just as ruthless as he was at Euro 2008, when he netted both goals in a 2-0 win over the Poles in the group stages.
I will watch the Poland game against Czech Republic (Saturday) and have my fingers crossed for them, but if we play against them in the quarter-finals, they will lose, the 27-year-old said.
Podolski s more immediate concern, though, is helping Germany seal their place in the knockout stages by getting something out of their final fixture in Group B, against Denmark.
Sunday s game in Lviv will be his 100th appearance for his country, but Podolski said while he is proud of having reached such a milestone at such a young age, he played down the significance of the achievement.
I feel very comfortable in the German team and I hope it will go on like this, he said.
I am very proud of myself but the statistics do not mean that much to me. In my career, I have other goals.
Indeed, Podolski is preoccupied with upping his game after two relatively quiet showings against Portugal and Netherlands.
I expect a lot from myself and will do more offensively, he said.
Germany s meeting with the Danes is scheduled to kick off on Sunday.
