Possible Germany lineup against Brazil
The upcoming quarterfinal between Germany and Brazil can be simply summed up as “The hosts are on a mission to win the gold at home whereas the Die Mannschaft are looking to capture their first World title since 1990.” The Selecao will miss the torch bearer Neymar and captain Thiago Silva in what would be a tough encounter against the ruthless Joachim Lowe’s side who simply can’t do any wrong in the showpiece event. Can the Germans reach the final or will Brazil outstage the odds to reach the final?
Here is the strongest possible Germany lineup to play against Brazil for the semi final at Belo Horizonte.
Goalkeeping:
Manuel Neuer seems to have a dream World Cup and surely the Bayern Munich shot stopper will be looking for yet another stunning show against the Selecao. While there been a lot of talks regarding Neuer’s sweeping role against Algeria, he was at his potent best against France in the quarter finals denying the Les Bleus time and again with his composed presence under the sticks. If losing Neymar was hard enough, scoring against Neuer looks even tougher.
Defense:
Jerome Boateng should be played on the left wing back role, thanks to the Bayern Munich defender’s versatility to play in a number of positions in the back line. Phillip Lahm might finally be released of his midfield duties to play in the right back slot. Mats Hummels’ header won it for the Die Mannschaft and the Borussia Dortmund defender will partner Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker in the heart of the defense. Brazil should look to play direct and attack the German back line which looks susceptible against physical teams but sadly for the home side, Fred doesn’t provide enough attacking prowess.
Midfield:
Phillip Lahm’s switch to the back four means Bastian Schweinstieger and Tony Kroos alongside Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira to hold fort in midfield in what seems an attacking 4-3-3 setup. There has been a lot of criticism over Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil but the Turkish born left footed star should start out wide on the right with Mario Gotze on the left flank. Both the midfielders will gradually draft in to create spaces for the wingbacks to overlap and fill in attacking setup which looks like a more conventional 4-5-1 while overloading the midfield. Ozil and Gotze will feature on a more central role with their decoy runs from the flanks staying narrow to make more space for the overlapping wingbacks.
Strikeforce:
Up front Thomas Muller has taken upon him to lead the line on his own and it doesn’t still appear that Miroslav Klose might be opted for this crucial high voltage encounter. Germany’s attacking prowess will hold them in good value against the hosts who will miss captain and influential Thiago Silva in the heart of the defense.
