Spain v Germany | Friday 5 July | MHPArena | 18:00
What a game this could turn out to be! The youthful zesty approach of the Spanish collides with the host nation and an army of white jerseys egging their side on with unbridled passion!
The atmosphere will no doubt be electric and with it we very well may be treated to a spectacle…
To Win (90 mins)
Spain 16/10
Draw 22/10
Germany 17/10
Spain
This Spanish side tops the attacking threat charts at this year’s Euro Championship, and when you consider the pace and direct intent of their performances – you might struggle to find a side that will deal with it adequately.
They earned their place in the final eight with a rather comfortable win over Georgia on Sunday. Even after they went 1-0 down (courtesy of a deflection from their defender Robin Le Normand) there was no point where they seemed to be scrambling or panicked! I guess, why would you if you notch up an expected goals scored rate of over three per game and are yet to concede a goal actually scored by an opposing player?
When you consider players like Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, the potency of those goal scorers is likely to keep Spain in any contest…however, whether their defensive ability is just as good remains a question still to be answered.
Germany
I have seen a lot of reporting on the Germany and Denmark game and reports suggest that Germany was lucky to get through, especially after their opponents had a goal ruled out by VAR. I’m not sure I agree with that to be fair, the Germans grew into a game they were already rather comfortable in. No, they didn’t exactly show an incredible attacking intent for all of the encounters, but to suggest they were scrambling is simply misleading.
The hosts come in second place, behind Spain, for the number of chances created and given their average of 70% conversion, it’s the sort of accuracy they might require in this fixture.
Another point I think is worth noting here is the crowd, do not underestimate the influence the crowd may have on this encounter! Julian Nagelsmann’s side will know they face a side littered with quality and underpinned by confidence, if they are able to get a 12th player in the crowd, they will take it with open hands!
Prediction: Both teams to score: Yes (15/20)
It really is a bit of a no-brainer, I guess. The two sides with the highest attacking threat in the tournament face off against each other…surely goals will be aplenty! I think this game could be an absolute spectacle, and at 15/20 for both teams scoring I am all in!
Written by Ryan Liberty