Germany vs Ghana 21st June 8pm

Germany could be making smooth progress through to the knockout stage in picking up their second win on the bounce here at Brazil 2014. They are strong favourites to do so after crushing Portugal unexpectedly in their opening group game. Heavy favouritism to the Germans and Ghana are already under big pressure after losing against the USA in their opening match.

Germany produced a clinical display of pace, power and creativity in beating Portugal 4-0. It doesn’t matter that they don’t have a genuine number nine in their team, they have so much in midfield to compensate for that. The game against Portugal was supposed to be their toughest game of the group.
Not a lot of history between these two as there have only been two meetings between them. They were friendly encounters, with Germany winning the initial encounter 6-1 and then they took another win, this time 1-0 over Ghana at the 2010 World Cup. Germany have faced African opposition six times before at the World Cup and have only lost one of them, that being a game against Algeria back in 1982. Of the other five clashes with African opposition, Germany have won four and drawn one. So they have the form on their side and they look to be full of goals, enough to back the game to over 2.5, even though Ghana don’t offer much up top. They looked effortlessly brilliant against Portugal. They are typically efficient at getting out of the Group Stage at World Cups and they have lost just one of their last nineteen World Cup group stage matches. That was against Serbia in their second group match at World Cup 2010. Of those other eighteen games in that sequence, Germany have won fourteen of them in an impressive record. Interestingly though, Germany have won their second World Cup group game just once since 1994, and that was back at World Cup 2006. Thomas Muller has eight goals in seven World Cup games after his hattrick against Portugal.

Ghana are in big trouble you would think and the odds on Ghana to win against Germany reflect that. They
suffered a heartbreaking last minute defeat against the USA in their opening match, their World Cup ambitions hanging by a thread now and it will be a BIG miracle if they eventually qualify. They have not managed to put up a clean sheet in any of their last five World Cup matches, and that isn’t something you want to read ahead of facing Germany. But in those five matches, they have only conceded the six goals, two of them coming against the USA recently. It paints a picture of Ghana, who are pretty solid and hard working. They don’t give too much away, but they don’t have the
firepower to get themselves out of trouble. Four of the last six goals which Ghana have conceded at the World Cup have all been from set pieces. Their current form isn’t running hot enough to suggest that they are going to beat Germany, having won just one and lost four of their last five matches played.

With much said I expect Muller to top his charts and look forward to winning the golden boot once more after winning it in South Africa in 2010. I expect goals here from the Germans.

Verdict: Over 3.5 goals