Germany vs. France – team news, key men, form and prediction
European heavyweights France and Germany will go toe to toe on Friday with a place in the last four of the world cup up for grabs. Ahead of the clash, Footybunker looks at the key players, team news, form and history between the two sides.
Key men
With both defences looking vulnerable at times, forwards will play a key role in the game. If you are to look for goals in the German side that it is hard to see past Thomas Muller. The Bayern forward is joint second top scorer in the tournament with four goals and scored the first hat-trick of the tournament in the opening win over Portugal. A natural finisher, Muller has now scored 9 world cup goals and appears to thrive on the pressure of big games. Antoine Griezmann may be yet to score in the tournament but his pace and tricky was the catalyst for the 2-0 win over Nigeria in the last 16. The Real Sociedad forward has got feet and is full of running which could cause havoc for a German backline that looked static against both Ghana and the USA.
Team News:
Germany have been dealt a number of blows in recent days. Firstly it was revealed that seven of the squad, including defender Mat Hummels had been struck down with a flu, although all are expected to be fit for the clash, then it was revealed that Shkodran Mustafi has been ruled of the tournament with a thigh injury. Good news came in the shape of the possible inclusion of a fit again Lukas Podolski following a thigh strain.
France meanwhile have an almost fully fit squad to choose from although they are concerns over Mamadou Sakho. The Liverpool defender is a doubt with the thigh injury that forced him out of the Nigeria game.
Form and history:
Both teams have been in good form to date with France slightly edging proceedings. Didier Deschamp’s men opened their tournament with a 3-0 win over Honduras before rattling five past Switzerland in their second game. The final game ultimately proved a dead runner with qualification secure however Deschamp will have been pleased to see a much changed side secure a 0-0 draw with Ecuador. The last 16 win over Nigeria owed much to the introduction of Antoine Griezmann with the 2-0 score-line harsh on the African side.
Germany also got off to a flyer in Brazil stunning Portugal with a 4-0 win. The game saw Thomas Muller score a hat-trick and led to claims that Joachim Low’s side would lead the European challenge. Since then however they have struggled somewhat grinding out a narrow win over USA and playing out an entertaining draw with Ghana in the group stages before needing extra-time to see of the challenge of African side Algeria.
The two have played of history at the world cup, many will remember West German goalkeeper goalkeeper Harald Schumacher’s challenge on Patrick Battiston at the 1982 World Cup. While Schumacher remained on the field, Battiston had to be carried off with the keeper later making a decisive save in the penalty shoot-out after the game finished 3-3. Germany went onto lose the final to Italy. Four years later in 1986, Germany once again secured their place in the final with a 2-0 win before losing to Argentina in the final. In all they have met 25 times, with France winning 11 of the games and losing 9. Their first meeting at a world cup came in 1958 when France won 6-3 while their most clash ended in a 2-1 win for the Germans.
Prediction and betting:
Nothing would appear to separate the two sides on the pitch given their form to date and the quality in the squads available and that would appear to be the case in the betting world too with both sides 4/1 to win by TitanBet. The goal-scoring market looks a more interesting prospect with Thomas Muller 3/1 to score anytime throughout the contest. France have arguably faced the easier opposition to date, especially in the group stages however they have slowly emerged as a real force since securing their place in the tournament and that momentum should see them through.
