Germany 1-0 France: The German tanks advance to the semi-finals.
Winning 1-0, Germany secured their place in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup. This was a well-deserved victory for the German team, as they displayed a more sensible and confident style of play than the French.
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| Germany brilliantly secured their place in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup with a single goal from Hummels. |
GOAL
Germany: Hummels (13')
Finally, coach Joachim Loew made some changes to the starting lineup. Surprisingly, Klose started, and Lahm was moved to his preferred right-back position. With these adjustments, Germany returned to their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation.
The excellent ball-handling skills of midfielders like Oezil, Kroos, and Schweinsteiger allowed Germany to dominate the game right from the opening whistle. At times, Germany's possession rate reached 61%. With such initiative, it was no surprise that Germany scored the opening goal early on. In the 13th minute, following a free kick from Kroos, center-back Hummels, who had joined the attack, headed the ball into the net with a powerful header, beating Lloris to give Germany the lead. Once again, Germany demonstrated their excellent aerial ability. Since the 2002 World Cup, they have scored 15 goals in World Cup finals with headers, more than any other team.
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| Hummels scored the only goal of the match. |
Having taken the lead, Germany played with even more confidence. Coach Loew's team created a solid defensive game. Germany also deliberately slowed down the pace of the match, contesting the ball from the midfield area to stifle France's play. Therefore, it's no surprise that Les Bleus struggled to find a way past Neuer's goal.
In the first 45 minutes, all of France's notable moments came from offside trap breaches. The most dangerous opportunity occurred in the 33rd minute. From a distance of only about 10 meters, Valbuena unleashed a powerful shot, but Neuer made an excellent save. Benzema's follow-up shot was immediately blocked by a German defender.
In the second half, France proactively increased the pace of the game. However, on a day when they were underperforming, Les Bleus' attacking players like Griezmann and Valbuena failed to create any significant breakthroughs. Meanwhile, the expected attacking threat from midfield, Pogba, didn't have as many opportunities to push forward and shoot as in previous matches.
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| Germany's goalkeeper Neuer had an outstanding performance. |
France's most notable chances in the second half came in the final 15 minutes, after coach Deschamps brought on both Remy and Giroud to increase pressure on Germany's half. In the 75th minute, inside the penalty area, Benzema skillfully dribbled past Lahm, but in a last-ditch effort, Hummels managed to block Benzema's shot. Right in the final minute of added time, Benzema created another dangerous opportunity, but his shot was still saved by Neuer.
Winning 1-0, Germany secured their place in the semi-finals. This was a well-deserved victory for Loew's team, as they played with far more experience and composure than the French.
With this victory, the German national team made history as the first team to reach the World Cup semi-finals four times in a row. Before reaching the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, Germany had already reached the final four in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 World Cups.
STARTING LINEUP
Virtue:Neuer; Lahm, Hummels, Boateng, Howedes, Oezil (Goetze, 83'), Kroos (Kramer, 90'), Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Mueller, Klose (Schuerrle, 69').
France:Lloris; Debuchy, Varane, Sakho (Koscielny, 71'), Evra, Valbuena (Giroud, 85'), Pogba, Cabaye (Remy, 73'), Matuidi, Griezmann, Benzema.