Having impressed during the groups stages, albeit from solely an attacking point of view, both Germany and Mexico made it through the groups unscathed which has set up what really should be an exciting semi-final encounter in Sochi.
At this tournament so far, there has been plenty in the way of attacking intensity, and little in the way of defensive mindfulness, on show from these two so fans on Thursday night should be in for plenty of goals – famous last words…. This might be a semi-final, but it’s very much a dress rehearsal for next year’s main event and so the shackles could remain off. With the goals already having flown nicely, and neither looking secure at the back, the two bets that stand out here are ‘Over 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score’ and ‘Over 3.5 Goals’. At odds of 23/20 and 9/4, given what we’ve already seen from this pair, both selections appear to have been underestimated somewhat and are thus worth taking advantage of.
With what is very much an experimental squad at his disposal, Joachim Löw has clearly used this tournament to assess his options ahead of next year’s World Cup. It might not be what you’d call a first string selection, but Löw has still witnessed his side play some nice football over the last few weeks and they remain unbeaten in the competition. However, it would be wrong to say that they’ve been flawless because they certainly haven’t, especially from a defensive point of view. Die Mannschaft, after three games, are yet to keep a clean sheet and have showcased numerous defensive cracks in conceding a total of four goals. Then again, at the other end of the pitch, having notched seven, they’ve carried a real threat. With a decent forward-line and a slightly suspect rear-guard, it’s not surprising that both teams have scored in all three of their matches, while ‘Over 2.5 Goals’ has landed in two of them. ‘Over 3.5 Goals’ has also landed twice also.
It would appear as though Mexico are cut from the same cloth as their opponents, as they too have looked very good going forward, but not so strong at the back. Juan Carlos Osorio is yet to see his team fail to score at this tournament, in fact, he’s yet to see his team score less than two goals in a single match. With this in mind, the ex-Manchester City assistant is likely to be very pleased; however, what won’t please him is the fact that his side, like the Germans, have failed to keep a clean sheet on three separate occasions. Mind you, this is often the result of playing an attacking brand of football, something that Mexico always look to do. With a number of technically gifted players in their ranks, not to mention one of the best poachers around in Javier Hernández, Mexico are always going to play on the front foot and they’re always going to score goals, even if they are left a little open at the back.
With neither of this pair able to boast a clean sheet at this tournament yet, and with their strengths seemingly lying in the final third, it’s hard to see an outcome where goals remain elusive in this one and so punters are urged to support a goal-filled encounter on Thursday night.
More upcoming tips can be found here.