ðə pɹˈiːviəs mˈiːɾɪŋ bᵻtwˌiːn ðə tˈuː tˈiːmz hɐdbɪn ɪn ɑːktˈoʊbɚ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd, ɪnðə fˈaɪnəl mˈætʃ æt ðɪ ˈoʊld wˈɛmbli stˈeɪdiəm; ðæt mˈætʃ ˈɛndᵻd wɪð ɐ wˈʌn zˈiəɹoʊ vˈɪktɚɹi fɔːɹ dʒˈɜːməni, wɪð ɐ ɡˈoʊl fɹʌm dˈaɪətmɚ hˈæmən.
The previous meeting between the two teams had been in October 2000, in the final match at the old Wembley stadium; that match ended with a 1–0 victory for Germany, with a goal from Dietmar Hamann.