Podolski: Strong start vital

Joachim Low's men are in the toughest group of the competition, with Holland and Denmark also in Group B.

And Podolski accepts the team will have to hit the ground running.

"The first game of the tournament against Portugal is decisive," the Arsenal-bound striker said on www.dfb.de.

"We have to be ready."

Germany reached the final of the European Championships four years ago and the semi-finals of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

And Podolski insists there is a belief in the squad they can go all the way this time.

He added: "We are good enough and have developed well enough over the past years that we can say we can win the title."

Low's side take on Switzerland in a friendly on Saturday.