Advertisement

'The ghost of Seville might come back for the Germans'

While there are plenty of enticing World Cup quarter-finals to come on Friday and Saturday, argu...
Newstalk
Newstalk

18.35 3 Jul 2014


Share this article


'The ghost of Seville...

'The ghost of Seville might come back for the Germans'

Newstalk
Newstalk

18.35 3 Jul 2014


Share this article


While there are plenty of enticing World Cup quarter-finals to come on Friday and Saturday, arguably the most highly anticipated is tomorrow's 5pm kick off between France and Germany.

As many of us know all too well, the two countries' football enmity became even more bitter in 1982 after goalkeeper Harald Schumacher's 'tackle' on France's Patrick Battiston as the Germans beat Les Bleus in a semi-final thriller.

Advertisement

The two would meet again four years later when the Germans would prevail again.

But tomorrow's match is particularly interesting as an in-form and counter-attacking France take on a out-of-sorts Germany which has developed a possession game.

French football writer Xavier Rivoire joined us on the line to preview the game and he believes the current France team is giving people at home something to cheer about in a time when the country is under a social, political and economic cloud.

Rivoire explained what the 1982 and 1986 defeats meant for the country at the time and admitted he is still "shivering" from the match in Seville marked by the Schumacher incident.

As for tomorrow's game, Rivoire is optimistic that France can avenge those defeats

"The spinal cord is very strong," said Rivoire, stating that Hugo Lloris is a safer bet than Manuel Neuer in goal, but also tipped manager Didier Deschamps to field Olivier Giroud alongside Karim Benzema as he did against Switzerland and Nigeria. But he expects Antoine Griezmann to come on.

"France are now patient. They play as a team and they have great players. But no one is really the big star. But the Germans too, they're pretty good when you look at all the options they have," said Rivoire.

"I think it's going to be a great spectacle. The ghost of Seville might come back tomorrow for the Germans."


Share this article


Read more about

Sport

Most Popular