PORTO ALEGRE // If revenge is a dish best served cold, Algeria will hope to dish it out to Germany in their World Cup match on Monday, 32 years after what is sometimes called the "Disgrace of Gijon".
On paper, this match should be no contest. Germany are three-time champions with elite players in every position, while Algeria have advanced past the group stage for the first time.
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Add in the revenge and momentum elements, however, and this could become one of the most emotionally charged matches of the round of 16.
“At a World Cup, there are no desirable opponents and no easy opponents, especially not in the knockout matches,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said. “The Algerians have proven that they are an uncomfortable rival. We will be well-prepared.”
Algeria are one of only three countries with a 100 per cent win record against Germany. Of the other two, East Germany (one match, one win) no longer exist, while Germany’s only game and only loss against Egypt came in 1958.
Algeria beat Germany 2-0 at home in a friendly in 1964 and won 2-1 in the opener for both teams at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
In Germany’s third group game in 1982, in Gijon, Germany scored in the 10th minute and, for the next 80 minutes, the Germans and the Austrians pushed the ball around without any real effort to score since that result allowed both to advance at the expense of Algeria.
Algeria has had little to cheer for until they beat South Korea and drew with Russia in the group stage this year, their late equaliser against Russia sending them through.
“This Algeria team has a lot of room to improve, and I suspect that we can do a lot better maybe in the next round against Germany,” Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic said.
With Ramadan having begun on Sunday, Halilhodzic suggested his all-Muslim side would receive a special dispensation from a travelling imam to avoid fasting ahead of the Germany game.
Loew says his side are in perfect health after their 1-0 win over the United States.
“We are very ambitions and we have big goals,” said Thomas Muller, the team’s top scorer with four goals.
Muller's place in the XI is not in question, but Mario Gotze should replace Lukas Podolski at the other forward position. Podolski was ruled out on Saturday with an undescribed leg injury.
Loew is likely to keep defensive midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger in the line-up in place of Sami Khedira.
Schweinsteiger was praised for his performance against the Americans, but he does not seem to have energy for more than 70 minutes after nursing a knee injury before the World Cup.
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