World Cup Semi-finals
AFTER losing talisman Neymar to injury and captain Thiago Silva to suspension, Brazil look vulnerable heading into their World Cup semi-final with Germany today.
A series of unconvincing performances from the hosts over the last three weeks, combined with those key men missing, means Sporting Index have promoted Argentina to favourites on their Outright 100 Index.
The traders can’t split the teams who played out the 2002 final tonight, with Brazil/Germany trading at -0.1-0.1. The Germans have been efficient rather than flamboyant in reaching a record fourth straight semi and should be able to contain a Neymar-less attack. Hulk has failed to find the target so far for the Selecao and Fred just once.
Punters can buy the time of the first Brazil goal at 58. It is risky, but potentially rewarding should they fail to find a breakthrough against a Germany backline that has yet to concede in normal time in their last three games.
After a glut of goals in the group stages, they’ve dried up in the knockout rounds and this looks another clash to sell total goals in, at 2.1.
Holland needed penalties to squeeze past Costa Rica, while Argentina looked to be comfortable in seeing off the threat of Belgium 1-0 on Saturday. The pair do battle tomorrow in a repeat of the 1978 final, which Argentina won 3-1 in extra-time.
Again, selling total goals at 2.2 should prove rewarding.