Berlin - German chancellor Angela Merkel is predicting that Germany will beat Spain 2-1 in their World Cup semifinal.
The German news agency DAPD reported that Merkel said "Spain is a good team" and that Joachim Loew's side faces a "very difficult" task on Wednesday.
The German leader also predicted a 2-1 win in last Saturday's quarterfinal against Argentina. Germany exceeded her expectations by winning 4-0.
The U.S. Embassy in Berlin says Ambassador Philip Murphy bet his counterpart in Madrid a case of German Riesling wine that Germany will win.
The ambassador to Spain, Alan Solomont, bet a case of Spanish red wine that Vicente del Bosque's team will win.