Friday will see a showdown between two of the powerhouses of European women's football when world champions Germany meet one of their closest continental rivals in the form of Sweden. Three times the pair have faced each other in major competitions, and on every occasion, the Germans have come out on top.

The match will also be another highly anticipated clash between two players fundamental to their respective teams: Sweden's goal-getter supreme Lotta Schelin and Germany's supersub Anja Mittag. FIFA.com caught up with both of them to see how preparations were going ahead of Friday's showdown in Shenyang.

"If we're ever going to beat Germany, the time is now," said a determined Schelin. "We've lost two finals and a bronze medal to them, and we've got to put a stop to that run." Germany indeed won the 2001 UEFA Women's Championship, the FIFA Women's World Cup 2003 and also finished third at the 2004 Olympics, each time at Sweden's expense. "At this tournament though, it's not the Germany that we're used to, so we're a lot more confident," she continued, referring to the current world champions' recent performances.

Mittag the match-winner
The Germans were indeed lucky in their 0-0 draw with Brazil, while their 1-0 wins over Nigeria and Korea DPR were workmanlike at best. "Our problem at the moment is that we are very solid at the back and get a lot of possession, but then we seem to give the ball away straight away," said Mittag of her team's play during the group stage. "We keep fluffing our passes during the build-up, and a mere two goals in three games isn't much to write home about."

Mittag herself played a critical role in making sure that Germany qualified for the knock-out stage; in her two substitute appearances, she set up the winner against Nigeria and then scored against Korea. "It's obviously a great feeling when you come on and are then involved in a goal," said the 23-year-old who is hoping for a spot in the starting line-up against Sweden. "If I do get to start, then I would of course be really pleased, but that's up to the coach to decide."

Lucky number 8 for Lotta
One person who will be starting for sure is opposite number Schelin, the lynchpin of the Swedish attack and the woman on whose shoulders much of her country's hopes are resting.

The 24-year-old has three goals to her name already, putting her level with Brazil's Cristiane at the top of the scoring charts. She even has a tattoo on her right arm that she hopes will bring her luck - an "L" and an "8", since "eight" in Swedish is "otta", making "L8" a short form of Lotta. "The Chinese tell me that 8 is a lucky number, which is why I had the tattoo done."

"Svensson and Schelin will be the ones to watch," continued Mittag. "Sweden play a lot of long balls and are very tough in the tackle." Indeed, there is a great deal of mutual respect, particularly since German internationals Ariane Hingst and Nadine Angerer play in the top Swedish league. Angerer is currently writing her name in the history books, having not conceded a single goal at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2007 or in Germany's opening three matches at the Olympics. "She plays in Sweden so we know her well," said Schelin. "She's not invincible, but we'll definitely have to make the most of any chances that come our way."

Both players are very much looking forward to Friday night's clash and are approaching the match in an optimistic frame of mind. "I'm still going for gold, as I have been from the beginning," said Mittag, while Schelin, for her part, insists that "no-one is unbeatable...anything can happen."