Joachim Low says Germany have no "Italy trauma" as they set their sights on a first victory over the Azzurri at a major tournament.
The two nations have met eight times at World Cups and European Championships but Germany are yet to secure victory, having recorded four draws and four defeats.
The most recent came at Euro 2012, when Low's side were beaten 2-1 in the semifinals.
Speaking prior to Saturday's quarterfinal in Bordeaux (9 p.m. CET/3 p.m. ET, ESPN2), though, Germany head coach Low told reporters at a news conference: "I am very much looking forward to playing Italy."
Antonio Conte's Italy have looked formidable in defence but, in Monday's 2-0 round-of-16 win over Spain, they appeared to catch the defending champions off guard by pressing high up the pitch and regularly attacking.
"It will be an incredibly tough match against the Italians," Low said. "They sometimes defend with nine or 10 players behind the ball and narrow the spaces so that even a team like Spain found no way past them."
He praised Conte for recognising that "catenaccio alone does not win you a tournament" and added: "They are not the Italians you usually see. They are not only focused on the defence but are also strong in attack.
"It will be a very tight match, and the outcome is relatively open. We don't fear the Italians, but they are on a top level. Their defence has been playing together for ages, and they are a much better team than they were in 2008, 2010 and even 2012."
In 2012, Low tried to contain playmaker Andrea Pirlo in the semifinal defeat by assigning Toni Kroos as a man-marker.
He admits now that "it didn't work," with the midfielder -- who is not in the current Italy squad -- beginning the move that led to the first of Mario Balotelli's two goals.
However, he added: "That defeat in 2012 helped us in 2014. It also helped me in my personal development. It was a painful defeat, but it helped me in making a few decisions at the 2014 World Cup."
He dismissed concerns over Germany's poor tournament record against Italy, which dates back to 1962, saying: "We don't have Italy trauma. It's a different team we are facing under different conditions."
Low, who was assistant manager for the 2006 World Cup semifinal defeat to Italy, said discussion of their tournament record was "cold coffee," a German phrase referring to old news.
"I prefer a fresh espresso," he said. "We just have to make sure that it tastes good on Saturday."
Germany beat Italy 4-1 in a friendly in Munich in March -- their first win over the Azzurri since 1995 -- and that had led to suggestions in the German media that Conte's men had little chance at Euro 2016.
Low said: "I knew about their qualities. They said they are too old, they play too defensively, but the truth is different. That mix of class, experience and a defensive base is important, but you also have to make your case in attack, and they can do just that."
He highlighted Italy's ability to hand possession to their opponents and wait for the counter while also having the potential to press high up the field with "physically and psychologically strong players."
Low, who has made minor adjustments to his starting formation throughout the tournament, said he is working on a plan for a team that is capable of breaking down Italy's defence while having the ability to cope with attempted counter-attacks.
"It will not be an easy job to find ways to do it," he said. "We need to tinker a bit. Creating chances will be harder than against Slovakia, and Italy are dangerous on the counter.
"They might hand us the ball, but they might also attack us early."
He said there is "no set starting formation" and he is not even certain of his system at this point.
"We are thinking about what their plan against us might be and take it into consideration," he said. "That's independent from playing a back four or with three at the back. We have to play to our strengths. The Italians have their own strengths, and we need to shut them down."