France vs Germany, World Cup 2014: as it happened
France vs Germany latest score 0-1 (Mats Hummels) - World Cup 2014: Teams, news updates and result, with our live stream match report of the quarter-final game at Estádio Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, on Friday, July 4, 2014, kick-off 17.00 (BST)
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FULL TIME: FRANCE 0 GERMANY 1 A rare let-down, really, in this superb World Cup. Germany were professional but unexciting. The French oddly flat - Deschamps took off Valbuena, their best and brightest player, when he needed to chase the game and there seemed to be a lack of energy and urgency in the second half. The heat, maybe? I have already forgotten large parts of this. Not that it was a terrible game, there were several chances, but it just seemed flat and almost as if the French were like "Oh well we have had a decent tournament, see you in 2016." Strange. Couple of emails. Here's Guy Mompoint:
This year, Holland get big time revenge against all three teams they lost to in 74, 78, & 2010. They humiliated Spain, they will send Argentina packing, and finish off the Germans on the 13th of July.
This year, Holland get big time revenge against all three teams they lost to in 74, 78, & 2010. They humiliated Spain, they will send Argentina packing, and finish off the Germans on the 13th of July.And also in Seinfeld tribute, I am going to hand the last word to Søren H. Assmann.
And in the end, Lineker. Who cares. Prime chances to put this up two and three in the end, but who cares. A win is a win, two to go. Give us Argentina!
Here's Henry Winter's match report.
Thanks for reading, please join me for Brazil vs Colombia: live (kickoff 9pm BST)
93 mins: Not that they have especially deserved it, but the French suddenly have a chance. The first signs of nerves in the German defence, and they don't clear properly. Here's Benzema in the inside left channel, hard shot at the keeper but never likely to beat Neuer from this angle... the French chance has gone and that's the lot.
91 mins: Fittingly on the 25th anniversary of Seinfeld first airing, Kramer is coming on for the Germans. Kroos off.
90 mins: Germans doing a good, professional, efficient, etc etc etc job of sewing this up, winning fouls when they need to.
89 mins: We're going to have four minutes of extra time. The French know the matches are only an hour and half long, right?
87 mins: Muller skins Evra and Schurrle has a dream chance to finish this. His shot is blocked by Varane, who bravely/accidentally blocks the ball with his gentleman's area.
86 mins: Germany mounting an over-confident attack as Boateng the centre half charges forward. Easy tiger.
84 mins: Giroud's replaced Valbuena. France, again, seem less... I dunno... bovvered than you would expect from a team six minutes away from going home.
83 mins: Germans have a corner, Neuer is on the halfway line. I would LOVE it if all this sweeper-keeper thing ended up with him getting lobbed from distance. Corner half cleared.
80 mins: Ball into the box, nearly disater for the Germans, Hoewedes has headed it at the back of Hummels. Would have been a comedy OG. In fact, it's a corner. The Germans break fast and true, and they're looking at 2-0 here... several men forward, crossed across for Schurrle who has all the time in the world. Ah, he's hit it straight at the keeper.
79 mins: Germany solid, not really attacked much of late, but here's Lahm. He loses it and Schweinsteiger feels obliged to trip up the breaking French midfielder, Griezmann I think.
76 mins: Cheryl Matuidi draws a reasonable save out of Neuer, but realistically he was never going to beat him from the angle.
75 mins: Shame, unlucky France. It's crossed over the box from the right, Benzema plucks it out the air and does pretty well to get a shot away. But he had not, and could not have, seen Balbuena on his left, arriving late in the area and in an even better position.
74 mins: Muller and Ozil cut France open, but the French defence are well back.
72 mins: Valbuena shows great control to pick it up on the inside left but his shot is lacking.
71 mins: Remy on for Cabaye. The French seem a bit.... unruffled. Not been a great urgency about their play.
70 mins: France have runners but Griezmann goes for a silly shot.
69 mins: Koscielny in for Sakho.
68 mins: This exchange. Sake.
Jonathan Pearce: "There was an interesting documentary the other night about false nines, have you seen any tactical innovations at this World Cup?"
Mark Lawrenson: "No."
66 mins: Klose has run his race, Schurrle comes on. Greg Bee writes:
On the subject of J-Lo's shirts (no, not her), surely the obvious candidate as the new Germany manager is Pep-Guard, given that he dressed like Milk Tray Man during the Champs League last season?
Azet agrees: "I always love Lowe's fashion style from the beginning. Elegent as always!"
65 mins: There's a lot of jeering in the stadium, Jonathan Pearce reckons it is in protest against goal-line technology Brazil fans unhappy that the game has got a bit cagey.
62 mins: Classy veterans match down this side as Evra crosses but Lahm makes the clearance. Benzema wrongly blown up for hands from the corner.
61 mins: Shades of Toni as Schweinsteiger leaps shoulder first into Valbeuna. Looked worse than it was, I think.
59 mins: Here's Matuidi on the break after a poor header from Boateng. Schewini hacks it out for a corner. Ball's eventually back in but Varane's header is never going to trouble Neuer.
55 mins: Griezmann sends Valbuena through but the ball's overhit. Kroos goes for am ambitious long range effort. P Kovak:
Germany will beat france but holland will win the cup
Kiran Kulkarni says:
I feel Loic Remy could turn out to be a trump card with his pace & dynamism..Deschamps shouldn't wait till 80th minute to bring him on.. Giroud can be given a night off as he is too static & will not make things happen on his own.
Alan White writes:
Watching on a tiny tv on a French campsite so rooting for France. Germany started 2nd half rather too well. Allez les Bleus!!!
53 mins: Griezmann breaks, it's opening up for the French here, but Khedira knows what he has to do: he drags him to the ground and accepts the yellow card without a murmur.
51 mins: Really good ball forward but Griezmann's control lets him down.
49 mins: A nothing freekick, Valbuena lifts it in quickly, Evra nearly gets on it. Miles offside but the linesman does not flag. Half the ground is in shadow, half in blinding sunlight - maybe he cannot see?
47 mins: Schweinsteiger with a nice judo move on Griezmann, getting his foot behind the Frenchman's calf and using his opponent's own bodyweight to haul him down. I am scoring it an Ippon. Surprisingly, given that this happened in the penalty area, the French don't claim for a foul.
46 mins: France will kick us off. No changes as far as I can see. Good bit of pundity by Rio at half time about Varane got bullied by the German goalscorer, should have been more aggressive and not let Hummels "put his hands on him", which sounded vaguely indecent. Neat start from France.
HALF TIME: FRANCE 0 GERMANY 1 Good match, German composure and passing probably just shading it over some nice French movement, but there are spaces behind the German high back line and France, notably through Valbuena, have been able to get in behind a couple of them. Gary Lineker gets off a good one, saying "The German manager was not afraid to leave out a big player – Ruud, have you any experience of that in your own managerial career?" Alan Shearer enjoys the joke. Let's grab a few emails, Craig Sobering, why don't you kick us off?
Tough one for me today as these are two of my favorite teams after Holland. Was a bit concerned to hear that much of the German team is suffering from the flu - that will make things tougher in the heat and humidity down there. Considering that and some of the weaker performances from the Germans later in the tournament I think the French are more likely to advance. Hoping for an exciting match whichever way the cards fall.
And Soren writes:
So far the match plan went just as expected. France attack - when it comes - is really fast, but the German defenders are mostly there. And a header for the lead. No complete fail, as Götze was against Algeria. One half to go for the fourth semifinal in a row - that'd be an academy record!
44 mins: Only going to be a minute of added time.
42 mins: Benzema with a twisty-tosty run after a ball from the highly exciting Pogba, but the shot doesn't measure up.
40 mins: France! That looked a decent shout for a handball. Cheryl Matuidi with the ball from the left, Benzema connects with a header, it hits Hummels in the breadbasket. Yeah no handball actually.
38 mins: Pogba's skinned Schweinsteiger! I think we can all enjoy that.
37 mins: Game slows down, indeed stops, and some players have decided they want a drink.
35 mins: Khedira and Kroos nearly smuggle the ball through a well-packed French line. Muller bursting through. Lawro is in especially miserable form this afternoon, by the way. He's furious that Sami Khedira has been hit in the face by the ball. "Ooh what a shock, man playing football hit in face by football," carps the Preston Pouter.
33 mins: Super save from Neuer, one hander to deny Valbuena from a tight angle, Benzema nearly spoons the follow up over the keeper but there are too many Germans in attendance. A couple of decent corners from France ensue.
32 mins: Germans getting full use of the lovely Maracana grass, Muller the latest to have a little lie down in the French penalty area. And why not? Debuchy was within three feet of him, or even closer.
29 mins: A ball into the France box, Howaaaaaydes has a go at it and the ref seems to be the only one in the stadium who reckons that this is a corner. But a corner it is. No alarm for France.
25 mins: Khedira sends Muller through and Lloris charges out to deny him.
23 mins: Klose is into the box! Debuchy goes with him and might well be grabbing his shirt. If Klose hadn't dived QUITE so theatrically the ref might have given him a pen there. Ridiculous dive.
Klose prepares for take-off
22 mins: France build down the right, but Hummels and his defensive colleagues are well aware of the threat Griezmann poses and he is well marshalled.
20 mins: Neat play by the French but not quite with the pace or verve to rattle the Germans at the moment.
15 mins: That goal for Germany has been sandwiched by some really attractive attacking play by France, Valbuena to the fore.
GOAL! A good spell of play from the French is rudely curtailed when the Germans win a freekick on the left, thanks to a foolish foul from Pogba. Ball in... Hummels gets the better of Varane at the back post and powers home the header. Excellent delivery from Toni Kroos.France 0 Germany 1 (Hummels 13)
GOAL! A good spell of play from the French is rudely curtailed when the Germans win a freekick on the left, thanks to a foolish foul from Pogba. Ball in... Hummels gets the better of Varane at the back post and powers home the header. Excellent delivery from Toni Kroos.France 0 Germany 1 (Hummels 13)10 mins: Valbuena's now popped upon the right and Germany clear, just about. Now Antonie Griezmann's turn to make a fine run and his cross is only barely cut out by Hummels
8 mins: Klose and Khedira link up quite well but the ball rolls through to Lloris. He sensibly slows the game down... And out of the bleu France produce a neat bit of play, the busy Valbuena gets in behind the left back Hoewedes I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO DO THE I TOLD YOU SO DANCE BUT I DID SAY THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, JOACHIM and he crosses for Benzema, who probably should have done better
6 mins: France look off the pace, Evra's chopped down Muller.
4 mins: French should ask the ref if he's got a spare ball, Germany won't them have a go with this one.
2 mins: Germany with much of the ball, France hanging back, they've strung five across midfield. Sakho dithers and Muller makes a good run and cross, it's hoofed clear.
1 mins: Germany lose it cheaply but their high-pressing line harries the French before anything can come of it. Lahm indeed at right back.
17.02 Germany will kick off.
17.01 Quite a bit of anti-racism. Now we've got a big banner. Jonathan Pearce worries that the players are having to stand out there in the heat. 30 degrees. Perhaps technophobe Pearce is upset about the newfangled banner.
16.59 Stirring performance of two top-notch anthems. Here are the France team:
16.55 The captains of France and Germany now each read out a statement about how they're all anti-racism, it's to do with a FIFA Anti-Discrimination day.
16.53 All Europeans now, as Basil Fawlty so wisely put it. These English folks are supporting Germany.
16.48 Oh was it Theirry? I missed the start. Baudelaire's 'Elevation', according to a man on the internets.
Next up: Alan Shearer reads the works of Sylvia Plath.
16.45 Goodness gracious it's all gone very French over on BBC. Some moody ambient music, a man reciting a poem in Foreign. I expect someone will have a love triangle or fall off their bike or stab themselves in the eye any moment now.
16.42 Funnily enough, you would fancy Neuer for a massive foul coming out the box, wouldn't you? Not necessarily a violent or vicious one, but all that charging out and trying to tackle. And funnily enough, just as I type this, they're talking about it on the telly.
"It's high risk football, if it doens't come off it's a red card," says Rio Ferdinand.
16.40 A film, and a discussion about the Toni Schumacher and that foul of fouls. CAn you imagine the internet drama if it happened now?
16.38 These people are showing off their colours. For any readers who don't speak French, the message on their t-shirts reads 'France', which is French for France.
16.30 It's Rio! Yay! And Alan Shearer. Ok. And Shexy Ruud Gullitsh! Great.
16.29 There's a little preview thing in a theatre. Hey if Germany win, they will reach a record fourth consecutive semi final.
16.28 I always get a little frisson during the World Cup while the titles of the TV shows are playing. Who will be on pundit detail?
16.25 Anyway, that's enough tennising. Here comes football.
16.20 "Email that has made me the most jealous" award goes to Richard Piercy, who says:
Holidaying in Vegas to celebrate my girlfriends 40th and glued to your match coverage from beside the pool. Going to see Cirque de Soleil later wonder which will have more diving and acrobatics?
Oh man, that sounds like a lot of fun. Hope you both have a great time. Remember to drink and gamble irresponsibly.
16.15 First email of the day honour goes to Søren H. Assmann
Stuck at work. Won't join the game till at least 15 minutes in. That being said, the lineup gives France credit. The German lineup. Taking out his slowest defender, Mertesacker, moving the fastest, Boateng into the middle, knowing that France scored all of their goals from inside the box this World Cup, shows Löw is actually adjusting to meet France's attack.
Don't underestimate Höwedes. He isn't the fastest, but near unbeatable in a direct 1:1, he's there to prevent the pass to the outside and flanks into the box. Which is the exact tactic Germany will use up front - bringing Klose up front instead of the small Götze is putting up a serious header challenge to the France defense, plus another prime assist-giver. If Boateng and Hummels harmonize, and Schweinsteiger and Khedira become the prime couple they were in the last tournament, France will have one hell of a day to get their attack machine going.
16.08 One of the features of Germany's match with Algeria was the goalkeeping of Manuel Neuer, hurtling out of his goal like a big aul mad one. Paul Hayward has the skinny:
The tournament's outstanding keeper possesses all the talents of an outfield player and has been likened to the great Franz Beckenbauer
The tournament's outstanding keeper possesses all the talents of an outfield player and has been likened to the great Franz BeckenbauerA German goalie charging off his line to engage a French attacker is not a happy image after Harald Schumacher's levelling of Patrick Battiston in 1982.
If Manuel Neuer surges out of his goal at the Maracana, the effect will be more Beckenbauer than bulldozer.
Joachim Löw, the Germany coach, thinks Neuer could "play in midfield" and Toni Kroos, who fills one of those positions, calls him the team's "11th outfield player." In a tournament of "high" German pressure, Bayern Munich's keeper is reinventing the last line of defence.
"This is the class of Manuel Neuer. He can basically play as a player behind the defenders," Löw said in Rio. "He can basically pass like an outfield player."
Read more of that here, most interesting stuff.
16.02 Talking, as we were a few minutes ago, of betting, Betfair are paying all money back as a free bet, on selected markets, if any of today's quarter finals games go to extra time. See more about that here. You'd have to fancy this France-Germany to go to 120 minutes, surely?
16.00 Here are the brave men and true who will be lining up shortly.
15.57 I'm considerably more interested in the football. Talking of telly, a nice modest tweet from the nice and modest Richard Keys.
15.55 A tennis is happening on BBC TV at the moment, Dimitrov and Djokovic going at it, Rob Bagchi is the man blogging for us.
15.53 Chelsea's Schurrle is a bit unlucky to be on the bench, I reckon. And Arsenal's Ozil can probably count himself on the fortunate side.
15.52 Here are the full teams
France: 1-Hugo Lloris; 2-Mathieu Debuchy, 4-Raphael Varane, 5-Mamadou Sakho, 3-Patrice Evra; 6-Yohan Cabaye; 8-Mathieu Valbuena, 14-Blaise Matuidi, 19-Paul Pogba; 10-Karim Benzema, 11-Antoine Griezmann
Substitutes: 7-Remy Cabella, 9-Olivier Giroud, 12-Rio Mavuba, 13-Eliaquim Mangala, 15-Bacary Sagna, 16-Stephane Ruffier, 17-Lucas Digne, 18-Moussa Sissoko, 20-Loic Remy, 21-Laurent Koscielny, 22-Morgan Schneiderlin, 23-Mickael Landreau
Germany: 1-Manuel Neuer; 20-Jerome Boateng, 5-Mats Hummels, 4-Benedikt Hoewedes; 6-Sami Khedira, 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 16-Philipp Lahm, 18-Toni Kroos, 8-Mesut Ozil; 13-Thomas Mueller, 11-Miroslav Klose
Substitutes: 2-Kevin Grosskreutz, 3-Matthias Ginter, 9-Andre Schuerrle, 10-Lukas Podolski, 12-Ron-Robert Zieler, 14-Julian Draxler, 15-Erik Durm, 17-Per Mertesacker, 19-Mario Goetze, 21-Shkodran Mustafi, 22-Roman Weidenfeller, 23-Chrisoph Kramer
15.50 Well, assuming that's true, it makes sense. Always seemed odd, to these untutored eyes at least, why he was playing one of the world's best fullbacks in centre midfield, and having two centre-halves playing in the full-back positions.
15.45 Wow, a bit of a curve ball from Loew by the sounds of it...
15.40 Reading Alan Smith's assessement seems to me to bear out what the bookies are saying: Germany around 15/8, France a best-priced 19/10, and the draw in 90 minutes 21/10. in other words, it's ascloseasthis.
15.35 A really excellent preview piece here from Alan Smith (the Arsenal one!) in which he runs the rule over the expected starting XIs. France vs Germany: The players rated head-to-head
15.30 A video for your enjoyment. Joachim Löw is confident despite the illness that has been troubling some of his squad.
15.25 Aside from the Central and Southern American teams, France have been one of the most enjoyable surprises of the tournament so far. So pacy! So lethal in front of goal! So not trying to stab the coach in the back and going on strike! Truly, these are les bonnes temps, for our French friends.
15.20 Afternoon all. Alan Tyers here. Welcome to our live blog of the first quarter final. Two proper big boys of European football, two properly exciting football teams. Hard to see any obvious weaknesses: perhaps the German full-back Howedes, a converted centre-half could be vulnerable to a Frenchman running in behind. The talented Mathieu Debuchy can be positionally supect. But, really, you're nit-picking. Two classy outfits.
Estadio Maracana, Rio de Janeiro
Kick-off: 17.00 BST
TV: BBC ONE
Team news
France (Possible, 4-2-1-3): Lloris; Debuchy, Varane, Sakho, Evra; Matuidi, Cabaye; Pogba; Valbuena, Benzema, Griezman.
Germany (Possible, 4-3-3): Neuer; Hummels, Boateng, Mertesacker, Howedes; Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Kroos; Özil, Müller, Götze.
Referee: Nestor Pitana (Argentina).
Under-fire Germany face rejuvenated France in Friday's World Cup quarter-final at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium in a clash of two European powerhouses.
This represents an acid test for Germany coach Joachim Loew after eight years in charge with his side heavily criticised at home for below-par performances at Brazil 2014.
A place in Tuesday's semi-final against either Brazil or Colombia in Belo Horizonte is at stake.
"Didier Deschamps has turned France around since 2010 and we're looking forward to another classic," said Loew who took charge after the 2006 World Cup.
The German camp has been blighted by illness in the build-up with Loew revealing seven of his squad have suffered with light 'flu symptoms and sore throats.
The full squad trained at the Maracana on Thursday and Loew is relishing the "magic" of the knock-out stages, but says a good result takes precedence over a good performance.
Their 4-0 hammering of Portugal in their opening group match confirmed their status amongst the world's elite.
But having been held to a 2-2 draw by Ghana, then grinding out a 1-0 win over the USA in their final group match, poor finishing saw Germany labour to a 2-1 extra-time win over Algeria in Monday's last 16 clash.
Former captains Michael Ballack, Oliver Kahn and Lothar Matthaeus have all questioned Loew's selections with playmaker Mesut Ozil struggling and centre-backs Jerome Boateng and Benedikt Hoewedes being played out of position as wing-backs.
Loew has a contract with the German FA (DFB) until June 2016, but a quarter-final exit will put him under pressure to resign despite steering his side to the semi-finals of the last three major tournaments.
The Germany boss says his side's best football at Brazil 2014 is still to come.
"We have not yet delivered our best possible performances, that is to come still," Loew told a press conference here Thursday.
"This isn't some easy-to-figure out computer game and your own team isn't always easy to programme, but you have to find the right combinations.
"You either win and stay or lose and go home."
In contrast, France have risen steadily under their coach Deschamps and are unrecognisable from their chaotic 2010 campaign in South Africa.
With Karim Benzema in top form, France are dreaming of their first World Cup title since their 1998 triumph on home soil, but their focus is solely on Germany.
"There is no apprehension or fear. There is no reason for us to feel any," said Deschamps.
"Germany are a solid side with lots of experience of this level but this game will be a pleasure for us and we are preparing ourselves as well as possible for it."
Honours are even in terms of recent meetings with France claiming a 2-1 win in Bremen in February 2012, while Germany claimed revenge by the exact same scoreline in Paris 12 months later.
The French lead the series with 11 wins to Germany's eight in 25 previous meetings.
Both sides played down the relevance of their legendary 1982 World Cup semi-final, which Germany won 5-4 on penalties after a dramatic 3-3 extra-time draw.
The Seville game attained notoriety when Germany keeper Harald Schumacher shoulder-charged Patrick Battiston, leaving the Frenchman unconscious on the ground.
With the media quick to ask whether France can claim some World Cup revenge, both Loew and Deschamps pointed to the fact most of their respective players were not born at the time.
Germany should have centre-back Mats Hummels back after missing the Algeria win with flu, while Lukas Podolski is fit again after a thigh strain.
There is a question mark over France defender Raphael Varane, who spent the night in hospital with dehydration after Monday's 2-0 win over Nigeria in the last 16.
Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho is fit again after knee problems, while it remains to be seen who Deschamps names as striker between Olivier Giroud or Antoine Griezmann.
Read John Ley's match preview for a full guide to the game.
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