FIFA World Cup: Brazil vs. Germany
The 2014 FIFA World Cup reaches the semifinal stage Tuesday as host nation Brazil meets Germany for a place in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Kickoff at the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.
Brazil scraped past Colombia in the quarterfinals but saw talismanic forward Neymar leave the game following a collision, or rather a blindsiding from Juan Zuniga.
Despite conspiracy theorists suggesting the 22-year-old will pull a ‘Serge Ibaka’ and be ready for Sunday’s final, the latest reports coming out of the Brazilian camp state that Neymar will miss the rest of the tournament.
That news has had a big impact on the World Cup futures. For the first time all tournament, Brazil is no longer considered the favorite. Instead, Argentina – Brazil’s arch rival – is now considered the bookmakers’ favorite, just.
Many prognosticators and pundits believe that Neymar’s absence will also be too big a hurdle for the Brazilians to climb when they face Germany – the World Cup’s most successful tournament team – on Tuesday.
Germany advanced to the semifinals with a 1-0 victory over France in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. An early goal from Mats Hummels and staunch defending from the Germans was enough to fend off Les Bleus and set up a mouthwatering matchup with Brazil.
Brazil and Germany are two superpowers of world football. The Brazilians have won the World Cup on five occasions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) while Germany has won it three times (1954, 1974, 1990). The Germans also hold the record for most quarterfinal, semifinal and finals appearances.
The Germans will look to make history on Tuesday though: a European side has never defeated a South American side in a semifinal matchup played in South America.
Germany will also look to shrug off a poor record against Brazil. In 21 matches, Brazil has won 12, Germany four, with five games ending in a draw. In four competitive games, Germany has never beaten Brazil.
The two sides have met just once in the World Cup, back in 2002 when Brazil won 2-0 in the final.
With Neymar out of the tournament, can Brazil get past Germany?
Check out the head-to-head history over at 11v11.com
In addition to Neymar, Brazil will also be without captain, Thiago Silva, who is suspended for one match after collecting a second yellow card of the competition against Colombia on Saturday. Dante and Willian are expected to deputize.
Germany will be without Shkodran Mustafi, who suffered a thigh injury during the round of 16. The defender is expected to miss the rest of the tournament. Meanwhile, an illness has been doing the rounds in the German camp, and Per Mertsesaker may be absent at kickoff.
Miroslav Klose remains one-goal away from breaking the record for most World Cup goals. He’ll likely be starting on the bench again after making a surprise start in Saturday’s win over France.
Weather conditions in Belo Horizonte are expected to include light showers with sunny intervals. Temperatures will sit around 20 degrees Celsius (68F), with humidity levels at 70 percent.
Bet on Brazil vs. Germany at Bovada
The sportsbooks are really in a conundrum in terms of this matchup. At the time of writing, Bovada listed both sides at +130 and a draw at +225. Remember, a tied score after extra time equates to a draw regardless of the penalty shootout.
Other bookmakers have listed Brazil as a narrow favorite, so it’s worth shopping around on this one, although Neymar’s injury and the unconvincing play of both sides this tournament means it’s unlikely you’ll see any great separation. The way this tournament has gone so far, taking the draw might actually prove the smartest bet of all.
No stranger to this stage of the tournament, Germany has appeared in 10 World Cup semifinals, collating a 5-5 record.
The European club has lost in the semifinals at the previous two tournaments, last recording a victory in 2002 en route to a showdown with Brazil in the final.
Brazil has appeared in seven World Cup semifinals, winning six of those matches. The South American side’s only loss at this stage came way back in 1938. The team has won six straight semifinals since. That’s uncomfortable reading for German fans.
The two sides have met just once in World Cup history, the 2002 final.
Somewhat interestingly, this will be the first time Germany has met a South American opponent in the semifinals. Brazil is 4-1 against European opponents at this stage of the competition.
Bovada is listing a selection of point spreads to choose from, while the over/under (on the main line) sits at 2 1/2. Bettors will find a selection of totals to choose from, up to 5 1/2 goals.
The average number of goals scored in 21 matches between the sides is 3.
The two sides have combined for three or more goals in seven of their last nine head-to-head matches.
Germany’s Miroslav Klose remains one goal away from World Cup history.
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The second World Cup semifinal will see the Netherlands meet Argentina at the Arena de São Paulo, São Paulo, on Wednesday. Kickoff will once again be scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.
Betting Sports will bring you a preview of the match on Wednesday.
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