France v Germany: World Cup 2014 quarter-finals – five key issues

Schürrle deserves a starting spot

“Salvation by backheel” read one headline. “Danke, André” wrote another. Mesut Özil may have scored the winning goal against Algeria but it was clear who the German press were thanking for the victory: André Schürrle. “There was a bit of luck involved in my goal,” said the Chelsea player but he was just being modest. It was a piece of improvised excellence from Schürrle and it should surely cement his place in the side for the France match. With him in the team, Germany are a more dangerous prospect on the attack. His speed, his intelligent movement and his ability to beat defenders offer an alternative to a team who, for long periods of this tournament, have looked one-dimensional in attack. As well as this, he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time – he has five goals in his last five competitive matches for the national side. Given that Germany were more susceptible to attacks down the left against Algeria – Özil too often tucked inside, abandoned the notion of defending and left Benedikt Höwedes exposed – Schürrle’s defensive capabilities would also be a welcome addition to the side.

Götze has got to go

The question then is, who does Joachim Löw drop? The Germany manager has two choices – Özil or Mario Götze. As he showed in the opening game against Portugal, Götze has all the right attributes to be one of the stars of this tournament. Has? Had! Ever since that match, he has been playing with the handbrake on. He looks ponderous on the ball and devoid of purpose. His passing, while accurate, goes sidewards or backwards. He is not driving the team forward, he is not creating opportunities for his team-mates, he is having little to no effect on games. Özil, while certainly not at his peak but almost certainly out of position, is still setting up chances – five against Ghana, four against Algeria, three against USA; over those same matches, Götze has one – and looks far more of a threat than his erstwhile team-mate. Crucially he also has the public backing of his manager, something which is conspicuous in its absence for Götze. The Bayern Munich player has been dropped once already this tournament, the France game should be his second.

Benzema must play in the centre

“You bought a Ferrari but drive it like a Fiat” was how Zlatan Ibrahimovic summed up his out-of-position experience under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona. After France’s win over Nigeria, Karim Benzema can surely relate. To accommodate Olivier Giroud, Didier Deschamps started with the Real Madrid striker wide on the left of his front three. If Giroud were one of the great centre-forwards of our time, scoring goals on a regular basis and dragging his country to victory after victory, Benzema could probably understand this. But he is as far from this as the Sun from Pluto – Giroud had two shots on goal against Nigeria and has but one competitive goal for France since the beginning of last season. To move an in-form forward who is playing his best football through the centre is as baffling as it is foolish. Once Benzema was restored to his rightful position against Nigeria – the place in which he has scored three time and won two man-of-the-match awards already this tournament – with Antoine Griezmann playing on the left, France instantly became more of a threat. Their strength, pace and movement pulls players out of position and is difficult for defences to cope with. With the obvious lack of pace in the Germany back four Deschamps would be mad not to start with Griezmann and Benzema and put Giroud where he belongs.

The great Lahm debate

There are few managers in the world who would not lick hot coals, chew broken glass and listen to an Elbow album if they were promised a midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger in return. And yet Löw has decided to play Philipp Lahm in the middle instead. The decision has left many of fans of Die Nationalmannschaft more up in arms than a crowd doing the Mexican wave but it is a decision that makes sense. Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Khedira push high up the pitch, leaving space behind for the opposition to attack. Lahm, however, sits a touch deeper and from there he has the speed and intelligence to cover any breaks, as he showed with his wonderful, last-ditch block of Alejandro Bedoya’s effort in the USA game. (Khedira and Schweinsteiger, by contrast, have both been injured of late and look plucked off pace.) With his swift feet and quick passing, he can also take the ball from defence and start to build the play for Löw’s side. He is also, quite simply, a better defender than Khedira and Schweinsteiger – Kroos’ place is not in question. Despite Shkodran Mustafi’s injury, Germany still have options at full-back – Kevin Grosskreut and Erik Durm are two who have yet to start – and so for now there is no need to uproot Lahm from his role in the midfield.

France’s midfield duo must keep their cool in the heat

After the match, Blaise Matuidi made his way to the Nigeria dressing-room to apologise to Ogenyi Onazi for leaving him with a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg. “I’ve not gone in to hurt him,” Matuidi said. “I’m not a dirty player.” In that game France committed 12 fouls, Matuidi was responsible for four, the worst of which was the challenge on Onazi. Luckily for Matuidi, the referee put a horrific tackle and an injured player together and somehow came up with only a yellow card. In a competition this intense, being played in the sort of heat that beats down on Brazil and against a side like Germany who can retain possession better than most, it is vital for France’s hopes that Matuidi keeps his cool. But he is not the only one. In the opening match against Honduras, Paul Pogba also had luck on his side when the referee opted to show a yellow for his lashing out at Wilson Palacios. At half-time in that game, Deschamps warned Pogba about his behaviour and whipped him off after 57 minutes. He then dropped the Juventus midfielder for the victory over Switzerland. Both of these players are as important to France’s hopes of progression as Benzema and Hugo Lloris but they will have to stay calm under the pressure that a such a match brings. Losing one of them could lead to France losing their footing in this World Cup.