The hosts come into the tie strong favourites on home soil after dispatching Colombia 2-1 in the quarter-finals. They will have to be without golden boy Neymar after the 22-year-old was stretchered off late, following a collision with Juan Camilo Zuniga.
Embed from Getty ImagesGermany will fancy their chances, after bearing a strong France side in the Quarters by a goal to nil. Die Mannschaft survived a scare in the Round of 16, unconvincingly sneaking past Algeria due to a 120th-minute goal from Mesut Ozil.
Embed from Getty ImagesGermany Striker Miroslav Klose has the chance to become the Top Scorer in World Cup history with a goal tonight. Lazio’s frontman is currently level with the Brazilian Ronaldo on 15 goals at World Cup Finals, and at 32, may not have another chance to surpass him.
Embed from Getty ImagesBrazil Starting XI: Cesar, Maicon, Luiz, Dante, Marcelo, Gustavo, Fernandinho, Hulk, Oscar, Bernard, Fred
Subs: Paulinho, Ramires, Willian, Jefferson, Victor, Maxwell, Henrique, Alves, Hernanes, Jo
Germany Starting XI: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Hummels, Howedes, Schweinsteiger, Kroos, Khedira, Muller, Ozil, Klose
Subs: Mertesacker, Schurrle, Draxler, Zieler, Weidenfeller, Grosskreutz, Ginter, Podolski, Durm, Kramer, Gotze
0- Brazil Captain David Luis proudly holds a Neymar shirt aloft while passionately belting out the national anthem, a fitting tribute to his injured teammate
0- And we are underway at the Estadio Mineirao, a final in the World Cup awaiting for the winner.
3-CHANCE- A fast start for the hosts as Marcelo finds himself in space on the edge of the area. He gets his shot all wrong however, lashing it well wide to Manuel Neuers left hand side
8- CHANCE- A golden opportunity for Germany goes begging. Mesut Ozil picks out Sami Khedira in the middle of the Brazilian box. The midfielder meets it first time, however, teammate Toni Kroos gets in the way and the ball deflects safely away. A let off for the Hosts.
11- GOOOOAALLLL- Its woeful defending from the Selecao, as Thomas Muller scores his fifth goal of the tournament. The 25-year-old is inexplicably in acres of space in the box, allowing him to side-foot Kroos’s outswining corner past a hapless Julio Cesar. Advantage the visitors.
17- Brazil Penalty Shout? Marcelo is screaming for a penalty after his progress was halted in the box by Phillip Lahm. Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez is having none of it and rightly so; its a fantastically timed tackle from the German
22- GOOOAAAALLLL- Miroslav Klose writes himself into the History books with a 16th goal at World Cup Finals. Lovely interplay between Kroos and Muller creates a chance for Miroslav Klose. The frontman needs two attempts to beat Cesar, but puts it in at his second attempt. its Germany 2-0 Brazil and the hosts are sinking without a trace.
24- GOOAALLL- Its three of the best they’ve made them pay! Brazil are stunned into silence- you Khedira pin drop in the Estadio Mineirao. Lahm cuts the ball back for Muller, who misses the ball. Kroos meets the ball and makes no mistake however, hammering the ball past Julio Cesar on the half volley. Questions have to be asked of the Selecoa’s defence- they’ve been absolutely nowhere today!
25- GOOALLL- No-one in the stadium can believe it, Germany have four. No sooner had Cesar picked the ball out of his net was it back in it and its Kroos again, that’s two for the German in two minutes. Again the Brazilians are the architects of their own downfall as Fernandinho has its pocket picked by Kroos. The 24 year old plays a one-two with Khedira, before rolling the ball into an empty net. This is embarrassing for the hosts they are defending like schoolboys. At four the game is all but over.
29- GOOALLLL- A crestfallen Brazil are again picked apart by the Ruthless Germans. Khedira has one now. Mats Hummels criminally drives through the heart of the Brazilian team before poking the ball through to Khedira. The Real Madrid Man plays a one two with Ozil, before slotting calmly past Cesar under no pressure at all. Its men against boys out there. Four goals in six minutes.
35- CHANCE- Its nearly six for the visitors and a hat-trick for Kroos. The midflider lasers on effort goalwards, but David Luis just gets a nick on it to deflect it wide. Finally some defending from the Hosts.
42- CHANCE- Oscar finally gives the Brazilian fans something to cheer about, though his show tis blocked safely wide.
Half Time- The Germans have blown the hapless hosts away!! If this was a boxing match it would have been stopped long ago, the gaping chasm of quality between the two sides has been so inexplicably large. The result is now a foregone conclusion, the only question that remains being, just how many can the Germans rack up?
Embed from Getty Images46 Brazilian Substitution
ON OFF
Fernandinho Paulinho
Hulk Ramires
Two holding midfielders on the host, a belated attempt at damage control perhaps?
Germany Substitution
ON OFF
Per Mertesacker Mats Hummels
51- CHANCE- Finally the hosts come to life. Ramires feeds Oscar in the box, however the attacking midfielder fires straight at Manuel Neuer, a poor finish.
53- CHANCE- Brazil foiled by Neuer again. Ramires has been fantastic since coming on, with the Chelsea midfielder sumptuously linking up with club team mate Oscar, before lining up an effort on the edge of the are with the outside of his boot. Neuer is equal to it however, and makes another superb save to defy the substitute.
55- CHANCE- Heroics from Neuer as the stopper denies Paulinho not once but twice for close range. Astounding goalkeeping.
This is better from Brazil, the hosts would have at least grabbed a goal from the game, were it not for superhuman stops form Neuer. I they had started like this they would have stood a chance.
58- Germany Substitution
ON OFF
Andre Schurrle Miroslav Klose
Klose goes off to rapturous applause from the travelling fans, of course now in the History books after his 23rd-minute goal takes him past Ronaldo.
61- CHANCE- Fantastic stop form Cesar. The Toronto FC stopper leaps up into the top corner to deny Muller, tipping his curled effort over the crossbar.
68- Dante is the first player to enter Marco Rodriguez’s book
69- GGOOOALLLL- Its six for Germany. The visitors refuse to let up, this time the substitute, Andre Schurrle. The number nine nips in ahead of Muller and sweeps a low-cross from Lahm past Cesar from close range, leaving the stopper no chance.
69- Brazil Substitution
ON OFF
Willian Fred
76- Germany Substitution
ON OFF
Julian Draxler Sami Khedira
GGGOOOAALLL- The sub scores again!!! An absolute world from Schurrle as the Chelsea forward collects an offload from Muller before ferociously firing past Cesar from a tight angle on the half volley, the ball smacking down to the turf off the crossbar on its way in. Get this for a scoreline Germany seven Brazil nil!!
It is now a record-breaking defeat for the Selecao, with Schurrle’s second goal making it seven, one more than when they were defeated 6-0 by Uruguay in the 1920 Copa America.
90- CHANCE- Ozil should make it eight! The schemer was put clean through on goal by Julian Draxler, however, he somehow places his shot wide of the post. The is ruthless from the Germans.
90 GOAL- The host have won back. No clean sheet for Germany as Oscar slots cooly past Neuer in the game’s dying embers. Half-hearted cheers ring around the Estadio Mineirao as the hosts reclaim some miniscule crumb of dignity.
Fulltime Brazil 1-7 Germany
The repercussions of the game will be felt the world over, not least in the host nation, where there will no doubt be an inquest into the cause of such an incompetent performance from the country’s supposed best eleven players. Luiz Felipe Scolari will have serious doubts about his job security, despite reaching the semi-finals on home soil, such was the dismal manner of his sides performance.
On the other hand, a rampant Germany will no doubt march into the final full of confidence, and as such have to be considered as the favourites to lift the famous trophy.
Toni Kroos was particularly sensational tonight, running the midfield with perceived ease, along with grabbing two goals in two minutes. He could have played in his slippers tonight and still ran rings around Brazil’s midfield.
