Germany playmaker Michael Ballack returns to captain the hosts as they seek to build on their flying start in the World Cup by beating neighbours Poland in Dortmund tonight.

Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 in the opening game of the tournament in Group A last Friday, shrugging off the absence of Ballack who missed the match with a calf injury.

The victory has fired German enthusiasm for their team, with black, red and gold national flags fluttering from cars and balconies across the land.

This afternoon Ukraine welcome back Andriy Shevchenko for their Group H opening match with Spain in Leipzig at 2pm (Irish time).

Shevchenko, who has had a knee injury, passed a late fitness test before the game.

Tunisia and Saudi Arabia meet in an all-Arab encounter in Munich at 5 pm and will be the last two teams to open their campaigns.

The World Cup has so far been free of the hooliganism which has marred previous soccer tournaments in Europe.

German police said yesterday that they had no evidence pointing to planned clashes between German and Polish hooligans but would deploy more officers than usual during the game.

Fears of a violent showdown between fans have overshadowed the match for months after about 100 Germans and Poles fought near the border last November.

Poland have not beaten Germany in 85 years of trying and need to break that hoodoo after losing their World Cup opener 2-0 to Ecuador last Friday.

Spain: 1-Iker Casillas (c); 3-Mariano Pernia, 5-Carles Puyol, 15-Sergio Ramos, 22-Pablo; 11-Luis Garcia, 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi, 16-Marcos Senna; 9-Fernando Torres, 21-David Villa                                              

Ukraine: 1-Olexander Shovkovsky; 2-Andriy Nesmachny, 6-Andri Rusol, 17-Vladislav Vashchuk, 5-Volodimir Yezerski; 9-Oleg Gusev, 14-Andriy Husin, 4-Anatoly Timoshchyuk, 21-Ruslan Rotan; 10-Andriy Voronin, 7-Andriy Shevchenko (c)       

Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)