Greek leader to face scepticism, criticism on first Berlin visit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a speech in Berlin March 19, 2015. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel and Alexis Tsipras have sought to play down the drama of the Greek leader's first official visit to Berlin on Monday, but open scepticism among the Chancellor's allies has spawned media portrayals of a western-style showdown.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, German media have cast Greece's leftist prime minister as the outlaw and the conservative German Chancellor as a sheriff fighting to keep the euro zone together.