When do false favourites Spain flip flop with Germany?

look sat englands and argentinas defence and then look at spains.

Look at Germany's everything and then look at Spain's.

They're bottlers, while Germany are in for the kill.

i think germany are a very decent team but the fact remains that 5 of their last 8 goals came against rubbish defences that were punished by counter attacks.
Its hard to see spain falling into that trap.

cant be bottlers,they turned that over by winning the last euro.

I've always felt the germans were underrated prior to todays match but now i feel they're going to be overrated by todays victory.

rubbish defences maybe

I just watch spain beat a 60/1 world cup chance in Q/F 1-0 in the 82min...I saw spain just get by 1-0 to a weak Portugal...germany kills 10/1 FAV in rd 16 4-1, germany then beats a 4-1 in Q/F 4-0...maybe they had rubbish defences, how much more then Por/Par

Germany should be the favourites by some distance. 3.3 is a gift.

Can't believe Spain are favourites to beat Germany (2.6 Sp. v 3.05 Ger).

Germans carried the hardest group of the group stage (eliminated Serbia & Australia, remember? just compared this with ... ehm ... Switzerland & the Honduras).

They've also crushed all-time classic teams such as England & Argentina. What did the Spaniards really do? Very hard-won victories against Portugal & Argentina.

Actually, Switzerland is the only non-Latin team that Spain play against, and they lost (the other were Honduras, Chile, Portugal, & Paraguay).

potugal and paraguay have exceptional defences............england and argentina don't.
i'm not knocking germanys chances but neither am i knocking spains because they haven't kicked on and handed out a thrashing.They play teh game in second gear and as good as germanys midfield is,they arent on the same level as spains.

slartybartfast Joined: 10 Jul 04
Replies: 592 03 Jul 10 22:03 
Can't believe Spain are favourites to beat Germany (2.6 Sp. v 3.05 Ger).

agreed. have people been watching?

They play teh game in second gear and as good as germanys midfield is,they arent on the same level as spains.

really...2nd gear..in that case, everything alright, get on spain then

I am slightly surprised spain are favourites, but i think the majority of posters here forget one main thing - in world cups it's not always that the better team wins. just remember 1986 semis, where france were supposed to trash the weak germann team, you know the score. just remember italy 1990 where italy were supposed to trash the weak argie team. just remember the various 1/4 or 1/2 matches where teams performing brilliantly fail to reach the next stage against opposition much inferior (in term of quality of football played) to them. Germany are by far the best team in this WC, as Spain showed nothing special, they struggled to get results against average teams like Switzerland, Honduras, even Chile and Portugal (i woud not put Chile and Portugal in the same group as honduras say, but both team did nothing exceptional). What if paraguay had scored that penalty?? I really doubt Spain could have turned the game around. But they still made it  (somehow).
So my heart tells me to back Germany full bank, but my mind says hold on, we've seen that before.
I will personally leave this game for now.
I will watch the first 10 minutes and make a decision

GL all

Del Bosque will keep giving teams a chance, maybe he'll finally put Torres on the bench, he has the strongest squad in the competition

i think spain have to be favs, yet i think germany will win. if that makes sense. villa top scorer backers (me) are better off if they lose, probably get a hat trick against uruguay in the 3rd 4th pointless thing. theyll be setting him up every opportunity to get the golden nugget.

on the basis of this tournament's performances then germany must be favs
what else can we base who is best on?
spain won a tournament 2 years ago?

Germany top scoring team in WC 2010. Spain lowest scoring team left in WC. Plus Spain have never finished higher than Germany in any WC (even England have managed that, albeit only once! ).

Goals tallies so far in WC 2010:
Germany 13
Netherlands 9 
Uruguay 7
Spain 6

Germany outsiders against England, and Argentina.  Easy wins.

The only reason Spain are favourites is they started as favourites, and that is no reason.

Spain played Switzerland, Honduras, Chile, Portugal, Paraguay.  No major team yet.  Only seven goals scored.

Goals tallies so far in WC 2010:
Germany 13
Netherlands 9
Uruguay 7
*Spain 7 (didn't count tonight's - d'oh!)

slartybartfast think you were right the first time

Ive backed Spain to win and must admit that i agree with most that Germany should be favs for this game however as pointed out England and Argentinas backlines are gash and both impleded with England playing kamakazie football at 2-1 down with still 20 mins remaining, Argentina gave up after the 2'nd goal and team selection and substitutions revealed what everyone knew all along that maradonna aint got a clue. The semi is game ill watch for 1'st 10 mins before deciding to bet or not, Muller harshly yellow carded will be big loss and is Del Bosque does the right thing and puts Torres on bench where he belongs i suspect you will see a much better Spanish display.

on the other hand england are hopeless, argentina defended like wallies and they played terrible against ghana. i didnt see the serbia game so i wont comment on that.

spain are not sure about themselves as tonight proved.
Germany are very sure and therefore only one winner for me.
good luck all...

slartybartfast Joined: 10 Jul 04
Replies: 613 03 Jul 10 22:00   
Germany should be the favourites by some distance. 3.3 is a gift. 


^ Slarty knows his onions imo

Thanks, Rider.

Goals scored so far in WC 2010:
Germany 13
Netherlands 9
Uruguay 7
Spain 6

Defensively, not much in it.
Goals conceded so far in WC 2010:
Netherlands 3
Germany 2
Spain 2
Uruguay 2

is villa 85% of spains goals or summit?

Yes.
Villa 5
Iniesta 1
Torres etc 0

Spain won't face an ultradefensive side for the 1st time in this world cup. All teams Spain have played so far(with the exception of Chile) have focused on destroying Spain's football and have accumulated plenty of players in their own goal.

Germany will be more dangerous of course but Spain will keep the ball as they always do but will have more spaces this time.

I think we'll see the best display by Spain so far. Correct price each of two in my opinion.

plus muller is out. Big loss

Very true Arts. Spain correctly slightly favs especially with Müller out. Müller has been huge in Germany's success with a blitz counter attacking game even if he never gets the ball sdragging the opposition's defence all over the place.

The way Müller plays in the Germany side is unique between the strikers and midfield causing havoc and dropping into the open spaces. A massive loss and tactically Löw will have to come up with something new. The closest straight swop is Marin to keep the side balanced as it is now but he is still a completely different player. No 50 metre darting runs with the hope of a pass and creating chaos in the opposition defence even if the ball never comes near him and as a rsult creating opportunites for his team mates. Marin a tricky winger who beats players in the last 3rd of the field and as a result can put a goal on a plate for Klose and co.

Probably go with Trochowski who is a hard working, talented player with an eye for goal but nothing obviously nothing like Müller's off the ball play.

Müller has been the optimal example of off the ball brillence I have seen for a very long time.

im a villa top goalscorer backer and spain outright winner backer pre tournie.i never thought id say this but i really dont want torres to play.hes been so poor the whole tournie, obv nowhere near match fit.if torres starts n villas pushed to the left like he has been for every game so far i think spain will struggle, especially with him bein up against lahm.spain would get so much more joy with iniesta left n villa more central.villas on fire at the moment n i really do think hel make the difference again.germany on the break granted,have been frightenin, i think argies were tailor made for them, and alot on here are over reactin about makin them favs vs spain.lets be realistic germany are never goin to be favs vs any top team, jus look at the names on the teamsheet.ok lookin at form and results etc then sure,but it doesnt work like that.like in boxing styles makes fights.so far germany have been playin A game whilst spain havent really got goin, yet still been grinding out results.sounds stupid sayin because germany have been so lethal on the counter attack, but i dont think their solid enough of a team to beat spain, spain struggle with teams who play 11 men behind the ball.i think with germany lookin to counter at every opportunity its goin to make it a fairly open game,even tho spain will dominate posession,which is goin to play into spains hands.i think 2-1 spain win.

flip flop

I think goal tallys count for nothing. Germany scored fluke early goals, and goals change games. Most of germany's were late goals on counter...means nothing. Think spain to qualify is gift at 1.9. Should be more like 1.7... Lump on it people...

wtf. there is no flip flop ya goon.

slartybartfast Joined: 10 Jul 04
Replies: 623 03 Jul 10 22:00   


Germany should be the favourites by some distance. 3.3 is a gift. 

Or 3.3 ever available as this clown suggested.

Just one answer to the question.
Spain are favs and should be favs. Just please do not play Torres tonight and they will bury the Gerry.

They're not false favourites, they only are for people who believe that football began with this WC you mug

apologies for the mug remark, i'm balls deep ante post and need to believe

wtf. there is no flip flop ya goon.

You're not going to go psycho on me again are you? There was a flip flop, reversed now.

If Spain had beaten England 4-1 and Argentina 4-0 in their last two games people would believe.  On form it must be Germany.

Football is a funny old game, but not a laughing matter.

England and Argentina are teams with serious defensive flaws, whatever you say about portugal and paraguay they defend well. England have well known technical limitations (they can't hold possession or pass the ball) and the Argies had no defence and a poor midfield

not so easy for germany with spain having 70% posession. first time you feel ballack might be useful to control a little more of the game.

one of these two muddling teams is going to beat the Dutch? Spain almost touched Dutch price there, lol. Give me a break

ob false favourites

the amount of clueless on here, who lets face it, should stay as far away from football betting as possible, is unreal! Spain are the best team in the world by a distance, no others come close at the moment. The 9-2 at the start was double what i would have offered. But thanx to all the idiots who put up such unbelievable prices on so many easy to predict games in this world cup, love you all!

^I think that is called aftertiming.

I thought Germany would win.  Spain were better.

Luckily I sold my Germany 1700 at 15 af

ter the Argentina game.

Not very exciting, but effective.  Spain performance probably good for 2-0.

gingcat1 Joined: 11 Oct 02
Replies: 1596 07 Jul 10 15:02 
slartybartfast Joined: 10 Jul 04
Replies: 623 03 Jul 10 22:00   


Germany should be the favourites by some distance. 3.3 is a gift.

Or 3.3 ever available as this clown suggested.

This clown was talking about the outright price not v Spain (as indicated by following post immediately after wich you would know ifyou had read the thread properly).

Tight game but Germans never got going. Perhaps missed Muller. Spain deserved winners on the night. Benefitted from dropping Torres for Pedro. Well played Spain backers.

nah, all my posts have been a thank you for what i am about to recieve lol. This forum is about giving your opinions and thankfully, this world cup mine have come to pass. What i am happy about is the amazing prices that have been on offer. Gave my reasons why not to go with germany in the semi, just hope some took heed.

agree with wtf 9/2 was a gift but there is still one hurdle to be jumped, but in horseracing parlance we're tanking along

wooooooo. Put way too much on spain to qualify! Had my reasons though (above)