With Germany to face Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland tomorrow, coach Joachim Loew has played down the euphoria in the media amid growing expectations of winning the European title next June.

Germany hammered Austria 6-2 in Gelsenkirchen on Friday to become the first side to qualify for the finals.

After Loew led Germany to the Euro 2008 final and third at last year’s World Cup in South Africa, expectations are growing in the German press of winning the European Championships for a fourth time.

But Loew is keeping his feet firmly on the ground ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Poland in Gdansk.

“I am happy without being euphoric,” he told German daily Bild yesterday.

“I have a healthy sense of reality. Or do people think that strong national teams should bow down to us, just because we beat Austria?

“It is clear to everybody that we are striving for the title. But for me, it’s still too early to talk about the title.”

Despite his side beating Brazil 3-2 in a friendly last month, Loew says he is more concerned with seeing his team improve rather than concentrating on results alone.

“Things can change very quickly in football, for me it is important for us to dominate teams like Brazil and play ­attractive football,” he said.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I am not satisfied with winning alone, I want that we continually improve.”

Loew has said he wants to protect Germany’s teenage star Mario Goetze from burn-out.

“Mario Goetze is an exceptional talent. And he won’t burn out with us, we have to exercise caution,” said Loew.

“Experience shows that other players have fallen into a hole after a meteoric rise.

“I remember (that happening to) Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

“Of course, Mario will be playing for us, but we have other good players too.”

Bender called

Meanwhile, uncapped Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender has been called into the Germany squad for tomorrow’s friendly.

The 22-year-old was telephoned by Germany coach Loew yesterday morning and joined the team in Duesseldorf before today’s flight to Gdansk, whose Municipal Stadium will host Euro 2012 matches next June.

Loew has opted to rest three of his first-choice players in vice-captain Schweinsteiger and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, both of Bayern Munich, as well as playmaker Mesut Ozil of Real Madrid, for the friendly.

Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese, Arsenal’s new signing Per Mertesacker and Dortmund’s rising star Goetze, who scored against Austria, will all start against Poland, a German Football Federation (DFB) spokesman said.

Bender was part of the junior Germany team which won the Under-19 European title in 2008.

His twin brother Sven made his debut for Germany in the friendly defeat to Australia in March and is part of the Borussia Dortmund team which won the German league title last season.