BERLIN: Franz Beckenbauer on Sunday described Germany as the "perfect team" and said they will be favourites to defeat Spain in Wednesday`s World Cup semi-final.

"This team, it`s the masterpiece of Joachim Loew. He has placed his mark on its make-up and created a perfect team," Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as a player and a coach, told the German Football Federation`s official website.

"I have rarely seen such mastery of the game from a German team. Perhaps only in the 1970s and the World Cup winning team of 1990."

Beckenbauer was speaking the day after Germany had routed Argentina 4-0 in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, the third time in South Africa that the team had hit four goals in one game.

"In the past, we would say that you had to leave the beautiful game in the dressing room, but this team shows that it is not a contradiction and that you can play well and win."

Beckenbauer believes his compatriots will be favourites to defeat European champions Spain and reach the World Cup final when they meet in Durban on Wednesday.

"Germany have an advantage over Spain, who haven`t yet shown the form that they did when winning the Euro 2008 title," he said.

"They haven`t yet looked very convincing and struggled to snatch victory in the quarter-finals against Paraguay."

BDST: 1356hrs, July 5, 2010