Germany, France to win; not without sweats

Germany and France, the two strong World Cup aspirants from Europe, will appear in two different matches to book their quarterfinals berths.

Joachim Loew, head coach of Germany gestures during the German national team training at Estadio Beira-Rio on June 29, 2014 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Photo: Getty Images

Both the giants looked in great touch, with their strikers notching goals freely. France will face Nigeria while Germany take on Algeria. France cruised through Group E by outscoring opponents 8-2 and Germany through Group G by outshooting rivals 7-2. If the scoring trend continues, fans can wait up to see at least a goal-filled match.

Players of France warm up during a practice session on the eve of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil round of 16 match between France and Nigeria at the local 'Bombeiros' Firefighters Training Camp on June 29, 2014 in Brasilia, Brazil. Photo: Getty Images

Led by striker Karim Benzema’s three goals and two assists so far, the French attack looks the sharpest among all other countries. The star French forwards play in different clubs across the Europe but they could gel really well, thanks to the good work done by coach Didier Deschamps. Benzema (Real Madrid), Pogba (Juventus) and Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) seemed to have taken their solid club performances into the World Cup. With Antoine Griezeman marshalling the midfield, there was no short in supplies upfront.

RT @IBNLiveSports: World Cup 2014: Nigeria attack to test France in Round of 16 http://t.co/FTWIfYpRJT #WorldsCup

— CNN-IBN News (@ibnlive) June 29, 2014

Despite having a smooth sail in the group phase, the French ability will be tested brutally by Nigeria. The Super Eagles haven't yet gone very deep in the tournament, but they are loaded with veterans like 100-cap defender Joseph Yobo and team's top scorer Peter Odemwingie.
It will not be easy to tame the Super Eagles, but the Les Bleus have a good chance to make their second trip to the quarterfinals since the 2006 World Cup in Germany. We can safely predict a 2-1 victory for France.

History lesson Algeria meets Germany with wounds of 1982 still fresh in mind. @amylawrence71: http://t.co/v5bXqUq6fI pic.twitter.com/AfOdDFF900

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 29, 2014

You can expect a goal-glut by Germany in their match against Algeria, who have already gone past their expectations in this World Cup. Algeria have nothing to lose, with their players anticipating heroes' welcome at home. So, they are expected to step onto the ground and play some pressure-free football.

World Cup 2014 talking points: Ghana shame Africa but Algeria restore pride http://t.co/MPncd1Een6 @Guardian_sport

— The Guardian (@guardian) June 27, 2014

 A quarterfinal looks to be guaranteed for Germany. Football pundits are rather busy in predicting the way the Germans should win and the number of goals they would score.
Coach Joachim Low may field the same side that played the last match, except for Lukas Podolski, who is injured and doubtful for this game. But Thomas Muller, with four goals from three group matches, will be there to do the scoring for Germany.
Germany are likely to win the match 3-0. But one thing is for sure that no goals will come that easy. Germany should expect nine Algerians inside the D-box for most of the time.