Euro 2012 Qualifying, Group A Preview, Picks: Group-Leading Germany, Turkey Clash In Berlin

Germany and Turkey sit atop the group with six points, both having beaten Belgium in the last round. Austria's only played one match, a victory over Kazakhstan, while Belgium, given that tough Germany-Turkey week to start qualifying, are looking to make-up points in their quest for second place. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan remain group minnows, combining for a 1:11 goal ratio through three matches.

• Kazakhstan versus Belgium, 12:00 p.m. Eastern, Friday - Two disappointing results for Belgium puts the young team on zero points through two rounds, though given their September fixtures, the results weren't entirely unexpected. George Leekens' team lost 0-1 to Germany and 3-2 at Turkey, neither result inspiring worry. Now, Beligum has a chance to get back on-track with a visit to Kazakhstan before their important Tuesday match against Austria. Though they will be without defender Thomas Vermaelen and attacker Moussa Dembélé (both injured), Belgium should expect an easy victory in Astana and a perfect week.
  
• Austria versus Azerbaijan, 2:30 p.m. Eastern, Friday - Like Belgium, Austria gets what should amount to a tune-up match ahead of Tuesday's trip to Brussels, and should Dietmer Constantini's team get two results this week, they would thrust themselves into the fight for second place. Until now, that race has been seen as a two horse, Turkey-Belgium race, but if Austria can take advantage of a Belgium team dealing with their first bout of expectations, a result in Brussels is not out of the question. First things first: Azerbaijan. Expect a goal or two from captain Marc Janko, good for one-in-two throughout his international career.
  
• Germany versus Turkey, 2:45 p.m. Eastern, Friday - Undoubtedly, when Guus Hiddink plotted-out Turkey's path to Poland/Ukraine, he put a zero by this fixture while imagining how he could steal points in Germany, It was something the Dutch coach was unable to do in his last job, when Russia dropped all six points to the Germans en route to a second place finish in their World Cup qualifying group. Friday's chance to reverse those results will be emboldened by Berlin's large Turkish population, though that will prove less vital than the absence of Bastian Schweinsteiger - the German veteran having withdrawn with an injury. Still, Hiddink will be without midfielders Selçuk Sahin and (possibly) star Arda Turan, and with Mesut Özil "especially motivated" to face the country from which his parents emigrated, Hiddink will need all the midfield help he can get.