Tim Cahill had best be ready for a battering.

Defender Per Mertesacker has admitted that Germany are planning to stop Australia's prime goal poacher in their bid to down the Socceroos in Sunday's (early Monday AEST) World Cup clash in Durban.

"Tim Cahill has enormous experience and has grown tremendously in England, he is one of Australia's most dangerous players and will be their midfield maestro," said Mertesacker.

"But if we can mark him tightly, it will make it hard for him to play a role."

In 2006, Mertesacker was paired with new Schalke signing Christoph Metzelder and they were statistically the best centre-back pairing of the last World Cup.

Four years on, and alongside Hertha Berlin captain Arne Friedrich, Mertesacker said the German defence plans on being just as efficient in containing Cahill.

"We will try and nip his attacks in the bud, and even maybe double mark him," he said.

"But he is still dangerous and can create chances in front of goal, so it will be hard to contain him."

Werder Bremen's Mertesacker has some experience of coping with Australian forward Josh Kennedy, from his time in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and Cologne, and the German is ready should the pair clash on Sunday.

"He is a very robust player, very good in the air and uses his body to get some advantage, so the aerial battles will be challenging," said Mertesacker about Kennedy who now plies his trade in Japan with Nagoya Grampus.

Germany have a 100 per cent record against Australia from their two previous meetings, but the Socceroos gave the hosts a mighty scare on their last meeting in 2005 before going down 4-3 in a Confederations Cup clash in Frankfurt.

As one of the organisers of Germany's defence, Mertesacker said he hopes his side contain the Australians more efficiently this time.

Germany will build up their focus on Australia in training this week and Mertesacker admitted the Germans are eager for the World Cup to begin.

"We haven't dealt with the issues around Australia so intensely yet, that will come in the next few days," he said.

"The next few training sessions will be decisive to get organised come the Australia game.

"We are all really dying to get cracking after all this time waiting."

With Serbia and Ghana also awaiting Germany in Group D, a defeat in the opening game would be a serious set-back.

"We are concentrating on the first group game, because we know a lot can happen in the group stages, especially early on," said Mertesacker.

"We need to get as many points as possible, as soon as possible.

"I don't want to be negative about it, but it would be a very bad start for us to lose the opening game to Australia."

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