14:00 GMT, July 3, 2010
Green Point Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa
First real test for Argentina
Few people expected Diego Maradona's Argentina to cruise into the quarter-finals with such serenity, but a side that looked chaotic and clueless during qualification for the World Cup has found harmony in South Africa and appear to be improving with every game.
Gonzalo Higuain jointly leads the tournament's goalscoring charts with four, Nicolas Otamendi put himself forward as the solution to La Albiceleste's problems at right back with accomplished performances against Greece and Mexico and Lionel Messi has tapped into previously elusive form with the national team and is yet to contribute goals.
With a supporting cast that features both star talent and experience, Argentina make a formidable attacking outfit. However, their defence is yet to face a stern test and has already showed signs of fallibility. Martin Demichelis gifted a goal to South Korea in the group stage, and the defensive unit as whole has lacked concentration on various occasions. Any slip up against a German side that humiliated England 4-1 in their second-round match could prove costly.
Despite the tender age of some of Joachim Low's youthful German side they have shown no fear, beating Australia 4-0 and then recovering from a blip against Serbia, when they played with ten men for 54 minutes, to beat Ghana and then England. Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil, who were plucked from the youth ranks, the latter from the Germans' UEFA Under-21 Championship winning side, are vital cogs in the high-tempo, attacking German machine.
Throw in Sami Khedira, who has been so good that no one seems to notice the absence of Michael Ballack, talented Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, the attacking instincts of captain Philipp Lahm from full back and the experience of strike duo Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose and Germany have a team more than capable of testing Argentina's weak spot at the back.
However, there are issues for Germany to contend with. Lahm, fellow defender Arne Friedrich, Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Muller, Ozil and striker Cacau are all just one yellow card away from suspension and could be inhibited by the prospect of missing out on a semi-final. Argentina have similar concerns over Gabriel Heinze, Javier Mascherano and Mario Bolatti.
Argentina player to watch: Carlos Tevez - Overshadowed by the mesmerising skills of Messi and the goals of Higuain in the group games, Tevez decided to grab some of the spotlight against Mexico by firing in a straight-to-YouTube classic and fuelling the technology debate with an offside opener. His high work rate and endless harassment of defenders was enough to retain a place in the team ahead of Diego Milito and Sergio Aguero and now that he has added a goalscoring touch there is no stopping the Manchester City striker.
Germany player to watch: Mesut Ozil - The Werder Bremen player has brought a touch of finesse and improvisation to the German midfield and was a key part of their crushing 4-1 victory over England in the last round. The youngster was a constant thorn in the side of the English defence, with his off-the-ball movement pulling players out of position and his clever passing opening avenues for the other attacking players. Ozil assisted the fourth and final goal in the 4-1 win, and also created four other goalscoring chances for his team-mates.
Key battle: Thomas Muller v Gabriel Heinze - Languishing in Bayern Munich's second team a year ago, Muller now leads Germany in both goals and assists at the World Cup. The 20-year-old scored his first international goal against Australia in the opening match and has grown in confidence since. The lanky player can stay out on the right flank or drift inside to make a useful target at the back post. Heinze will be the man charged with stopping Muller and will have to utilise all the dark arts in his repertoire to halt the German. Argentina have looked great going forwards but have been prone to lapses of concentration at the back.
Trivia: Diego Maradona has never seen Argentina draw a match under his 23-game tenure as manager of the side.
Stats: Lionel Messi has attempted the most shots (17) without scoring in the World Cup so far.
Odds: Argentina (2.30), Germany (3.40), the draw (3.10) are all on offer at Bet365. But a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes will get you 15.00.
Prediction: Both teams have issues at the back so it is unlikely that the match will be a defensive affair. Argentina have more ammunition going forward and are likely to edge a high-scoring quarter-final.
Saturday 3rd July 2010
Venue: Green Point Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00
Low wary of Argentina firepower
Joachim Low can't get any satisfaction from knowing Mick Jagger is backing Germany to beat Argentina in their World Cup quarter-final.
The legendary Rolling Stones front-man was in Bloemfontein to watch the Germans dump England out of the competition last Sunday and was impressed enough to declare Low's young side are his tip to go all the way.
Given his past record, it is not something Germany should be that comfortable with.
And Low is happy to steer away from good luck charms and ensure his players are totally focused on an eagerly-awaited tussle with Diego Maradona's unbeaten outfit.
"We can't bet any money on Mick Jagger's predictions because he's been wrong several times," laughed Low.
"Instead we have to concentrate on what the Argentinian team have shown so far.
"They have won all their games, and in terms of numbers, they are almost incomparable attacking players.
"They have some incredibly talented strikers who don't even make it into the side, like Diego Milito, who had such a fantastic season at Inter Milan. Their firepower is remarkable."
Eager to side-step the simmering tension between the two camps that has rumbled on for a couple of days since Bastian Schweinsteiger accused Argentina of being provocative, Low preferred to concentrate on the eagerly-anticipated contest itself.
Prior to the World Cup starting three weeks ago, the star names were all South American.Now Germany have a couple in there as well in 20-year-old Thomas Muller, whose two second-half goals killed English hopes of a comeback, and Mesut Ozil, who has quietly established himself as one of the players of the tournament.
Low has dispelled fitness concerns about the 21-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder, who missed training yesterday purely so he could get some rest after an arduous 12 months, which started with his demolition of England in the European Under-21 Championship final.
He is also very wary about putting too much expectation on the youngster's shoulders given he must now go head-to-head with Lionel Messi.
"You cannot compare such players," countered Low.
"Messi has a lot more experience. He has been with Barcelona for many years and has won the Champions League and La Liga titles.
"His dribbling is superb and loves to take on opponents one-to-one.
"Ozil is different. Short passing and combination play are his forte.
"He spots passes rather than takes the ball past people.
"This is his first tournament, although the matches he has played in South Africa have been very impressive and he shows no fear."
Miroslav Klose is expected to win his 100th cap, an impressive stint for the national side, even more remarkable because he has scored 50 times as well, the latest effort coming against England.
Maradona will tell Lionel Messi to go out and destroy Germany just like he did in the 1986 World Cup final.
Messi will be given a free role to play exactly where he likes in the quarter-final at the Green Point stadium despite suffering from a touch of flu.
Maradona, who scored five goals in the 1986 World Cup and was their inspiration in a a 3-2 final defeat of Germany, said: "He did feel a bit under the weather, had a slight fever.
"He told me about it and I sent him back inside. It was very cold when we started training at 4.30pm. I gave him a bit of a rest.
"The session went well, but I never considered him not playing in this game. I just let him have a rest so he could play against Germany."
Messi has not scored so far at this World Cup but has provided assists for more than half of Argentina's 10 goals and Maradona will allow him the same free role he used to occupy for the national team.
"I want to give him freedom to play his game," said Maradona. "He has no defined position.
"These players, like Messi, if you label them or shackle them, you'll detract from their freshness and initiative."
Maradona refused to accept Argentina were now favourites to win the trophy after Brazil's defeat against Holland.
He said: "No. No. We're not favourites. But to beat us our opponents are going to have to play better than us and leave their skin on the pitch.
"We don't feel like we're hot favourites. We have to keep playing our football. We're focused."
Maradona, who was written off as a coach by the sceptics before this World Cup, has nurtured a rapport of respect and togetherness with his players, showering them with hugs and kisses before and after all four matches they have won.
He is determined not to change anything now, either in the make-up of his team or in his coaching style.
He said: "They're my players, my national side. I'm very grateful to all of them."
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