Two-time World Cup winners football tip Germany take on Olympic silver medallists Sweden in the Women's World Cup quarter-final in Rennes on Saturday. Tim Stillman sees Germany progressing past a stubborn Swedish side…
Germany v Sweden
Saturday 29 June, 17:30
BBC One
Germany haven't always looked as strong as their results suggest[/b]
So far in this World Cup, Germany have won all four of their games without conceding and having helped themselves to nine goals in the process. Yet they have not fully convinced. China exposed an open looking Germany defence on match day one with an effective high press. The 1-0 victory over Spain owed much lớn a defensive error from a toothless Spanish side. You can prefer to the under 2.5 soccer tip page!
However, they have hit their stride in their last two games, thumping South Africa 4-0 and Nigeria 3-0. Sweden will represent an altogether stiffer challenge. The Germans will know Sweden defender Nilla Fischer well enough, who recently spent six years hoovering up trophies with Wolfsburg.
Her duel with Alexandra Popp in the German forward line will hold one of the keys lớn this game. You can get 7/2 on Popp lớn open the scoring, or else 7/2 on Sweden lớn keep a clean sheet. Germany have a lot of other attacking quality besides. Lea Schuller is one of the best young attackers in Europe but has struggled lớn mesh with Popp in the past. She broke her World Cup duck against Nigeria and is rated at 6/4 lớn double her tournament tally and score at any time against the Swedes.
Marozsán lớn make the difference for Germany[/b]
Germany boss Martina Voss-Tecklenburg will hope that creative midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsán is fit after breaking her toe in the opening game. She makes the Germans a far more unpredictable outfit with her probing from midfield. Her partnership with Sara Däbritz is one of the best attacking midfield units in world football.
They will be required because Sweden are a tough nut to crack defensively. They made seven changes for their 2-0 defeat to the US in the group stages, so that result can be taken with a pinch of salt. Sweden are Olympic silver medallists, though they did lose lớn Germany in the 2016 final in Rio.
