Germany v Australia Best Odds, Tips and Recommendations

Loew Looking for High Return from Klose

Germany begin their World Cup campaign on Sunday, in what will likely be a tough and bruising encounter against Australia. Germany have had their share of injuries ahead of the World Cup, with Chelsea’s Michael Ballack, number one keeper Rene Adler and full back Heiko Westermann among the prominent omissions from the World Cup squad. However, Germany coach Joachim Loew will be able to put out a side that will contest well against any opposition in the World Cup. They have the qualities to dig deep and grind out results, as well as put their foot on the gas and tear teams apart comfortably. They showed, in a tough qualification group against Russia, that they can go into tough matches and come out triumphant in the end. Even with the absentees from the squad, there is a lot of promise about the Germans, even though they have not crept to the fore of World Cup betting. They won eight and drew two of their qualification games, conceding just five goals along the way. The Germans have had a pretty decent run up to the World Cup, only suffering one defeat, which was against Argentina in their international friendly matches.

One thing Germany do have, is pace, and that comes from Loew having assembled quite a young side, with an average age of 26. They also have Miroslav Klose up front, who hit seven goals in eight matches during qualification, but had a bit of a stuttering season on the domestic front for Bayern Munich. Because of his great record for his country though, he will, more likely than not retain his starting place and will carry the weight of goal scoring on his shoulders. So Germany have had to re-shuffle their pack, but Coach Loew has done well in not letting the disappointments of injuries upset his preparations to much. They still look an organised side, and their pedigree in the World Cup alone should mean that they are fairly battle hardy, even if they don’t have the full experience of past Germany squads. Sitting around the fringe of the World Cup outright betting market, the Germans are looking like a strong outside bet. They should easily be good enough for a least a quarter final place, and this opening match will be a good test of the balance of the side. Known for being slow starters, a good win would help them build that all important momentum ahead of tougher groups tests in Serbia and Ghana.

Schwarzer Keeper of the Australian Rear Guard

Australia in contrast, have older heads on their shoulders, and therefore older legs. They will know that the Germans are a much stronger side, so it could be a backs to the wall effort from the Socceroos for most of the ninety minutes. The Aussies have had their injury worries, with forward Harry Kewell being involved in a big race to be fully fit for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But while Kewell has apparently won his race, the Socceroos are awaiting to see if influential midfielder Tim Cahill will be fit after picking up a neck injury. Cutting to the chase, the Australians are not a pretty side to watch. They play on the borderline of being over physical and they adopt a very defensive approach to the game. They switched to the Asian qualification zone in order to help their development in playing supposedly tougher opposition, but they have put up defensive walls for some reason. The Australia you may have seen in the past as their status grew, the one with gusto and bravado, has gone into its shell a little and like to squeeze out matches.

Australia coach Pim Verbeek will simply set Germany the tough task of breaking down their defensive barriers, including goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer who is one of the best in the world. The question surrounding this game, is whether or not Germany have enough creativity and drive to break down the Australians. Put frankly, they should have, especially if they are serious about going deep into the competition. It is a little hard to put a finger on how this one will go. There should be enough quality for goals, but at the same time, the defensive corps could just as easily get the upper hands. It probably won’t be the most open of games, more of a midfield battle with Germany having a lot of possession. In a tough group, the Australians are the outsiders, and have the toughest start against one of the top European sides.

Germany v Australia Betting Odds and Stats

Last 5 Matches
Germany 3, Bosnia 1
Hungary 0, Germany 3
Germany 0, Argentina 1
Germany 2, Ivory Coast 2
Germany 1, Finland 1

USA 3, Australia 1
Denmark 0, Australia 1
Australia 2, New Zealand 1
Australia 0, Netherlands 0
Korea Republic 3, Australia 1

Last 5 Match Goals
Germany: 9 For, 5 Against
Australia: 5 For, 7 Against

Recent Stats
Germany: P50, W33, D10, L7 with a 66.0% win percentage
Australia: P30, W14, D8, L8 with a 46.7% win percentage

World Cup Stats
Germany: P92, W55, D19, L18, GF190, GA112
Australia: P7, W1, D2, L4, GF5, GA11

Last 10 Match Form
Germany: DWWWWDDLWW
Australia: WDWWWLDWWL

Match Odds
Germany to win: 8/15 at Paddy Power
Draw: 10/3 at BetFred
Australia: 29/4 at Bwin

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: Germany should win the match, as seeing Australia break ranks very often to get forward with consistent pressure is difficult to picture. Nevertheless, stubborn they are, and Australia +1 at 21/20 at Bet365 is decent value.