The first quarterfinals match of FIFA World Cup 2014 will kick off on Friday, 4 July at Estadio Castelao. Group E topper France will take on Germany, who topped Group G with two wins and a draw, in the crucial match that will see the winner enter semifinals.
Not much was talked about France before the start of the tournament but they started off in style by beating Honduras 3-0 and Switzerland (5-2), before settling for a 0-0 draw against Ecuador in the group stage. However, they were left frustrated in the round of 16 against Nigeria until they scored two late goals to find a place in the quarterfinals. They are a bunch of young and energetic players, and with Karim Benzema in good form, they look strong.
Germany entered the World Cup as one of the favorites but have been not that convincing after beating Portugal 4-0 in the opening game. They went on to beat USA 1-0 before drawing 2-2 with Ghana. They also exposed their vulnerable side in their previous match against Algeria though they managed to beat them in the extra time. With right mix of experienced and young players in the team, they still remain one of the favorites to win this World Cup.
In their previous head to head 25 encounters, France won 11 and Germany eight, while six matched ended in a draw. However, West Germany fair better when it comes to World Cup, beating France twice in 1982 and 1986.
The match on Friday is expected to be a tight and exciting one but bookmakers think Germany have the upper hand.
Betting platforms like Paddypower, Ladbrokes, bet365, Betvictor and Winner have put odds for Germany at 29/20 while odds at William Hill, Betfred, Betfair and Sky Bet is 7/5. On the other hand, odds for France is 21/10 at William Hill, Betfred, Winner and Sky Bet, while other platforms gave 2, 11/5 and 85/40 odds.
Here is what several betting platforms have to say on quarterfinals match between France vs Germany according to Betting Dictionary:
| LIST | Paddypower | William Hill | Ladbrokes | Betfred | bet365 | Betfair | Betvictor | Winner | Sky Bet |
| Germany | 29/20 | 7/5 | 29/20 | 7/5 | 29/20 | 7/5 | 29/20 | 27/20 | 7/5 |
| France | 2 | 21/10 | 2 | 21/10 | 11/5 | 11/5 | 85/40 | 21/10 | 21/10 |
| Draw | 23/10 | 21/10 | 23/10 | 23/10 | 23/10 | 23/10 | 23/10 | 47/20 | 23/10 |
France vs Germany match will be telecast live in India on Sony Six & Sony Six HD at 09:30pm IST (11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT on ESPN 2. You can also check out complete TV guide of the ongoing World Cup HERE.
