World Cup 2014 – Dugout Discussion – Matchday 6, Day 1

The World Cup returns to our screens once again this evening, after Holland’s dramatic spot-kick win over Costa Rica on Saturday night brought the quarter-finals to a conclusion. This time around, hosts Brazil have it all to do against Germany – with Thiago Silva suspended at the heart of defence and Neymar sidelined due to a back injury, Big Phil Scolari doesn’t have his problems to seek:

Brazil: Cesar; Maicon, Luiz, Dante, Marcelo; Fernandinho, Gustavo; Hulk, Oscar, Bernard; Fred

Germany: Neuer; Lahm, Hummels, Boateng, Hoewedes; Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Kroos; Muller, Klose, Ozil

Scolari makes three changes from the side that narrowly beat Colombia in the quarter-finals. Bayern Munich’s Dante replaces the suspended Silva at centre-half, Luiz Gustavo returns from a one-match ban to take the place of Paulinho in the centre of the park, whilst Shakhtar Donetsk wide man Bernard gets the nod in the attacking midfield three.

The Brazil boss keeps faith with the misfiring Fred, then, despite a return of one goal from the opening five matches, whilst Oscar will be looking to improve upon his recent displays – after a goal and assist in the tournament opener against Croatian, he’s mustered just a single assist in the subsequent four fixtures. David Luiz has been subject to heavy Fantasy interest right across the games after producing two goals and an assist in his last three appearances – as we saw in the win over Jose Pekerman’s side, his set-piece duties could be key if the hosts are to prevail.

For the Germans, Joachim Low continues with the XI that started last week’s 1-0 win over France. Per Mertesacker remains on the bench, then, with Philip Lahm at right-back again and Jerome Boateng partnering Mats Hummels at centre-half, whilst Miroslav Klose is handed the lone forward role.

Top scorer Thomas Muller is looking to end a two-game drought – having scored four times in the group stages, the Bayern man has delivered back-to-back blanks against Algeria and France but will fancy his chances against a backline with one clean sheet in five matches. At the back, Mats Hummels’ second goal of the tournament got the better of the French last weekend and with three clean sheets to his name over four appearances, the Dortmund centre-half has picked up plenty of new Fantasy owners ahead of this evening’s crunch encounter.