Two of the most successful countries in World Cup history will battle it out for a spot in this year’s final when hosts and five-time champions Brazil meet three-time champions Germany in the semifinals.
Brazil booked their 11th semifinal date by defeating South American upstarts Colombia, but they will be without two of their most important players – captain Thiago Silva and striker Neymar – against Germany, who edged out France 1-0 to reach their fourth-straight World Cup semifinal.
Update: Brazil appealed Silva’s suspension with FIFA and had their appeal overturned. Silva will not play on Tuesday.
Can the hosts survive the German assault and meet the winner of Argentina vs. Netherlands in the final? Check out our comprehensive preview of the other semifinal here, read on for more on this huge game, and create a betting account now to cash in on the final matches of this incredible tournament.
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Brazil vs. Germany, World Cup 2014, Semifinal Betting Preview and Prediction
Brazil’s mission to win the World Cup on home soil will be a lot more difficult to accomplish with two of its two best and most influential players missing for its semifinal clash against Germany.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Captain and central defender Thiago Silva will be suspended after picking up a costly yellow card against Colombia in the quarterfinal. But undoubtedly the bigger blow is the loss of talismanic striker Neymar, who suffered a fractured vertebrae against Colombia and has been ruled out of the tournament.
Bayern Munich defender Dante should take Silva’s place in defense, but it’s less certain who manager Luiz Felipe Scolari will choose to take Neymar’s spot in the starting lineup.
Neymar’s absence could give Oscar the chance to shine. The young midfielder has not had a particularly great World Cup, in part because Neymar was occupying his preferred position in the middle of Brazil’s attack. A return his more ideal central role against Germany may see him step up.
Brazil will also have holding midfielder Luiz Gustavo back from suspension to face Germany. Gustavo will be very familiar with their next opponents, having played with and against most of this Germany team during his club career in the Bundesliga. He will be instrumental in keeping the tricky German attackers quiet from midfield.
Not only will Brazil have the advantage of the home support to spur them on, they also have the historical edge over the Germans. Brazil has won 12 of their 21 previous meetings against Germany (12 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses), including their only World Cup meeting at the 2002 final.
Betting on Germany
While Brazil’s starting lineup in the semifinal will be far from their best, the Germans should field their most potent 11 after manager Joachim Low finally made the big changes in their 1-0 quarterfinal win over France.
Low started both Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira in midfield, moved Jerome Boateng over to central defense and returned team captain Philipp Lahm to his natural position at fullback. As a result, Germany’s defense looked much more assured compared to its very nervy display against Algeria.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer hasn’t conceded a goal at full-time for three straight matches after his defense ably shut down a full-strength French forward line which scored eight goals in their first two games. They should have an easier time handling a Brazilian attack without Neymar and with a misfiring lead striker in Fred.
Midfielders Schweinsteiger and Khedira, who were both short on fitness entering the tournament, now look to be back to full speed. They helped neutralize the threat of the French midfield considered to be one of the strongest in the tournament. Another strong showing against Brazil will give the Germans a big advantage in dictating the flow of the game.
Low’s more pressing concerns at the moment are up front. Young stars Mesut Ozil and Mario Gotze have failed to shine thus far in the tournament, while Thomas Muller’s goals have dried up in the past two games. But with a wealth of talent on the bench in Andre Schurrle, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose (if he doesn’t start), Low will have plenty of options to turn to during the match.
Writer’s Prediction
Despite their key absentees, Brazil is buoyed by the rabid home support and lifts up its game against the Germans. Take Brazil (+152) to edge out Germany. Create a betting account today and wager on the fate of the host country.
