Your Semi Final predictions!

evilhomer

Tuesday, 04 July 2006
Germany v Italy, 20:00

Wednesday, 05 July 2006
Portugal v France, 20:00

These games are getting hard to call.

France seem to have decided to play some football.
Germany will have the ref on their side again.
Portugal just don't concede, and they will have Deco and Costinha back.
Italy are looking good, Totti is getting fit again and Toni's shooting boots arived from Italy on Friday.

I have to admit I think both games could go either way.

But here we go anyway.

Germany v Italy, Germany
Portugal v France, Portugal (after extra time)

Lex Luthor

I think it will be Italy & Portugal Final. However, you never know with the Germans, they will definitely get at the Italians and give them a game. Portugal defence is superb but Frances midfield should outclass Portugals...I think we'll see 2 great semi finals.

mike65

France should beat Portugal (who have been pretty rubbish) assuming current form continues while I have this feeling Germany will have just enough to shut out Italy and nick it.

Mike.

Attractive Nun

France's creativity seems to rely on Zidane, and he looks in no mood to have a bad game, so I can't see them losing to Portugal. I'll go with Italy in the other match.

fade2black

mike65 wrote:

France should beat Portugal (who have been pretty rubbish) assuming current form continues while I have this feeling Germany will have just enough to shut out Italy and nick it.

Mike.

Haha...Portugal have been pretty rubbish? They've already beaten two teams who were some people's choices to win the tournament. France were shockingly bad in the group stages and only scraped past those. They've improved though and I think that will be the pick of the semis. I'm glad Brazil are gone though...they thought they had a divine right to win the WC when really they played awful.

Germany and Italy could be a real cracker. Italy have been the team of the tournament so far and the Germans, not too far behind, will have the whole country behind them.

A Germany V France final probably (although my small 22-1 portugal docket is all I have left to have an interest I think France will score early and do what they did last night against Brazil)

Then in the final.....

Germany win.

mike65

Portugal have been poor, heck they had an extra man and no ideas yesterday!

Mike.

andrewie

I think Germany will beat Italy and France to just beat Portugal after extra time.

evilhomer

mike65 wrote:

Portugal have been poor, heck they had an extra man and no ideas yesterday!

Mike.

They had an extra man and 10 English players camped on the edge of their own 18 yard line.

Thats hard to play against, no matter who you are.

Ruu_Old

I'll go for a Germany and France final.

ghost26ie

i'm the same, germany v france final

Necronomicon

Same here, although my quarter final predictions were...eh, poor, to say the least

Dont be at yourself

Is Nesta back for Italy?

therecklessone

Two evenly matched semis, but I'm going for an Italy-France final, with the Italians out for Euro 2000 revenge.

Waster

Germany to beat Italy on penalties. France to beat Portugal who didn't look great against england. If only they could find a decent striker they would be a great team. Germany to win the final. There is an inevitability to this german assault. Roll on "the manshaft", as they like to call their team.

evilhomer

NekkidBibleMan wrote:

Is Nesta back for Italy?

Apparetly he will be fit for the Semis

d22ontour

Italy to beat Germany and Portugal to beat france.

evad_lhorg

france italy final.

Seaneh

France - Italy Final.

Italy will control the game against the germans and win, not easily but they will win.

France will just completely outplay Portugal tbh.

Rikand

Italy - France

I dont feel the Italian Defence will be broken, even by Germany

France to score 2 against portugal and shut up shop

Roddy23

Italy - France

I dont feel the Italian Defence will be broken, even by Germany

France to score 2 against portugal and shut up shop

I'd go with something similar alright. France to win a tight contest against Portugal. In fairness to Portugal, Deco was missing in their last game, he brings a lot to their attack.But France now the form team. Italy in the other match to beat the Germans.

Rikand

This might make things a bit tougher for Germany if hes proved of any wrong doing

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/germany/5138652.stm

[Jackass]

Portugal - Italy final

Italy to win the final

Gangsta

France - Italy

France to win it.

kinaldo

I usually find history to be a great indicator when it comes to predicting big matches like these but in Italy's case despite their impressive head to head against Germany I just can't see the Germans losing at home. Should they meet France in the final the past will most certainly favour the Germans.

BIG MATCH STATS

Head-to-heads

Italy and Germany have met on 28 occasions, with Italy winning 13 and Germany seven. The pair have contested six competitive matches which all took place at major championships. Italy are unbeaten in this respect winning twice and drawing four times. In four previous World Cup encounters, Italy have won twice and drawn twice. The sides have met only once at the World Cup semi-final stage. In 1970, the Italians secured a dramatic 4-3 victory in extra time setting up a final meeting with Brazil. Germany missed a chance to vindicate that loss in the 1982 World Cup final, in which they fell 3-1 to the 'Azzurri'.

In the last meeting between these teams, Italy hammered Germany 4-1 in a friendly in Florence. Alberto Gilardino, Luca Toni, Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Del Piero netted, before Robert Huth produced a late consolation goal for the visitors.

Team facts - Germany

Germany have reached seven World Cup finals in their 16 appearances, winning three (1954, 1974, 1990).

The Germans have won seven of their last nine matches, and can become the first nation to reach eight World Cup finals.

Team facts - Italy

Italy have won three World Cups (1934, 1938 and 1982) and one European Championship (1968). They are unbeaten in 23 international matches, their longest undefeated streak since 1939.

Italy's nine goals at the 2006 World Cup have been scored by eight different players. They have only conceded one goal at this tournament, and that an own goal by Cristian Zaccardo in the group match against the United States.

Player facts - Gerany

Torsten Frings, Lukas Podolski, David Odonkor and Arne Friedrich will miss a potential final match if they receive a yellow card against Italy.

Miroslav Klose is currently the top scorer at these finals with five goals. Klose has a total of 10 World Cup goals and is one of 12 players in the competition's history whose goal tally is in double figures. Gerd Muller (14), Jurgen Klinsmann (11) and Helmut Rahn (10) are the other Germans on the list. Half of Klose's goals in Germany 2006 have come from assists from Michael Ballack.

Player facts - Italy

Daniel De Rossi will serve the last of a four match suspension and will be eligible should Italy reach the final. Marco Materazzi returns from a one match suspension after having been sent off against Australia. Fabio Grosso, Gianluca Zambrotta and Gennaro Gattuso will miss a potential final match if they receive a yellow card against Germany.

Alberto Gilardino will celebrate his 24th birthday the day after the match.

Miscellaneous Info

The hosts have won six of the previous 17 World Cup editions. Germany also hosted the World Cup in 1974, when they emerged victorious by defeating Holland in the final. (West) Germany have a very impressive record while playing in Dortmund - winning 13 and drawing one of the 14 international matches played in the city. The draw came in 1977 against Wales. During these matches, Germany have scored 59 times, and conceded only seven.

Italy have reached the World Cup final every 12 years since 1970. They lost in 1970, won the final in 1982 and lost in 1994. They have lost all three of their penalty shoot-outs contested in the World Cup, whereas the Germans have won all four of theirs.

Big Match Stats source: Infostrada Sports

Unearthly

I fancy the Germans to take them. It will be a tight match and may well go down to penos and that's Germanys speciality, whilst Italy have never impressed on penos.

As for France and Portugal. I'd go for Portugal, Big Phill is too good of a manager and they will have players back.

BolBill

Italy Portugal final for me

PHB

Italy - Portugal final for me, with Portugal winning I hope, but I'm not sure.

For me, Deco is going to be the main man in the France - Portugal match, and he will unlock the french defense

WhiteWashMan

evilhomer wrote:

Tuesday, 04 July 2006
Germany v Italy, 20:00

Wednesday, 05 July 2006
Portugal v France, 20:00)

i predict that two of these teams will qualify for the finals.

Gangsta

WhiteWashMan wrote:

i predict that two of these teams will qualify for the finals.

clap clap

PHB

i predict that two of these teams will qualify for the finals.

Ballsy, personally I'm going with the safe bet and predicting three of them will make the final

Gangsta

PHB wrote:

Ballsy, personally I'm going with the safe bet and predicting three of them will make the final

he thinks he's unreal funny doesn't he?

SpAcEd OuT

Italy France final

Necronomicon

Torsten Frings has been suspended by FIFA for the semi, was he involved in the post-match brawl?

shatners basoon

It all depends which French team shows up, if they play the way they did in the last two matches i'd say they'll win comfortably. I haven't been impressed with Portugal and would rather them go out (having gotten France in a draw at work bears no meaning in this!)

I'd choose Italy over Germany as i can't see Germany scoring, Italy will hit them on the counter attack and Toni'll score a hatrick! If it goes to penos tho then Germany all the way.

I'm just hopeful they'll be good games.

astrofool

WhiteWashMan wrote:

i predict that two of these teams will qualify for the finals.

You can be remarkably "factual" with your posts, but thats getting ridiculous postcount++ tbh!

Jivin Turkey

Necromomicon wrote:

Torsten Frings has been suspended by FIFA for the semi, was he involved in the post-match brawl?

This will be a big loss for Germany IMO.

I personally think it will be a France - Italy final.

I can see France taking Portugal but Italy needing penalties to overcome the Germans.

Paddypower are offering 25/1 on both semis being decided on penalties. Personally I can't see any other way between Italy and Germany, as I said above I think France will have too much over Portugal but at those odds I'll still be putting a couple of €€€ down.

WhiteWashMan

astrofool wrote:

You can be remarkably "factual" with your posts, but thats getting ridiculous postcount++ tbh!

germany ftw

Pepe LeFrits

Germany, Italy, Portugal or France to win

herbieflowers

wasn't that joke made already?!

Pepe LeFrits

herbieflowers wrote:

wasn't that joke made already?!

I'm going to go with yes and no

county

Ruu wrote:

I'll go for a Germany and France final.

i`ll second that

tomED

Germany v France for me

unkel

If France keep up performance and team spirit of the last two games, they're gonna blast Portugal to bits unless there is another Ivanov as the referee :rolleyes:. Germany - Italy a very tough one. Can the Germans get one past the Italian defense? They are at home and 4 years ago they were crap and still made it into the final. I'll go:

Germany - France

Ponster

France - Germany final.

I'll wait to see the yellow/red cards collected before I decide who wins that one.

mewso

Pepe LeFrits wrote:

I'm going to go with yes and no

Are we hiring straight men to make the right post at the right time now?

Bateman

Italy - Portugal final I reckon. Germany seem delighted to be in the last 4, and Portugal look nigh-on impossible to beat under Scolari.

Earthhorse

Italy - France final, with Italy winning. Though I'd prefer to see Portugal in the final.

bohsman

Italy - France final but would prefer to see Italy - Portugal as I think it would be a better game. Have a memory that Euro 2000 that was a terrible Italy France final.

Kingp35

unkel wrote:

If France keep up performance and team spirit of the last two games, they're gonna blast Portugal to bits unless there is another Ivanov as the referee

Have you been watching the World Cup? Portugal are very solid in all departments except up top. With Deco back they will have that creative brilliance and can very easily beat the French.

I said it before the World Cup and ill say it again, Portugal are going to win. Nothing I have seen so far has made me change my mind.

Germany will beat Italy tonight.

Gangsta

Kingp35 wrote:

Have you been watching the World Cup? Portugal are very solid in all departments except up top. With Deco back they will have that creative brilliance and can very easily beat the French.

I said it before the World Cup and ill say it again, Portugal are going to win. Nothing I have seen so far has made me change my mind.

Germany will beat Italy tonight.

france are solid in every department.

Ponster

Kingp35 wrote:

Nothing I have seen so far has made me change my mind.
.

Have you been watching the same World Cup as me?


Portugal, against the same France that beat Brazil, will be lucky to get a goal on target.