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Cape Town - Brazil
will be without talisman Neymar when they come up against fellow
footballing titans Germany on Tuesday in a battle for a place in the
2014 World Cup final.
The Samba Kings have so far lived up to expectations as host nation after making it to the semi-finals, although their performances on home soil have been far from inspiring, having scraped wins against Chile and Colombia in the previous two rounds.
Their 2-1 success over the Colombians in the quarter-finals also came at a huge cost as star striker Neymar, who bagged four goals in the first three rounds, suffered a fractured vertebra and will miss the rest of the tournament.
Another huge blow for Brazil sees captain Thiago Silva suspended for the tie after picking up a second yellow card in the last-eight, although FIFA have confirmed the South American country's football federation have already appealed the decision.
Germany, meanwhile, have looked increasingly menacing as the tournament has progressed, although they were pushed all the way to extra-time against Algeria in the last 16, while a solitary Mats Hummels goal proved decisive in the quarter-final win over France.
Joachim Low's men did, however, look in complete control against Les Bleus, with the likes of Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Mesut Ozil dominating play in the final third as they eventually cruised to a record fourth successive semi-final appearance.
This week's last-four clash pits the two nations against one another for only the second time in World Cup history, with the first having come in the 2002 final when Brazil emerged triumphant to secure a record fifth title.
The Samba Kings have so far lived up to expectations as host nation after making it to the semi-finals, although their performances on home soil have been far from inspiring, having scraped wins against Chile and Colombia in the previous two rounds.
Their 2-1 success over the Colombians in the quarter-finals also came at a huge cost as star striker Neymar, who bagged four goals in the first three rounds, suffered a fractured vertebra and will miss the rest of the tournament.
Another huge blow for Brazil sees captain Thiago Silva suspended for the tie after picking up a second yellow card in the last-eight, although FIFA have confirmed the South American country's football federation have already appealed the decision.
Germany, meanwhile, have looked increasingly menacing as the tournament has progressed, although they were pushed all the way to extra-time against Algeria in the last 16, while a solitary Mats Hummels goal proved decisive in the quarter-final win over France.
Joachim Low's men did, however, look in complete control against Les Bleus, with the likes of Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Mesut Ozil dominating play in the final third as they eventually cruised to a record fourth successive semi-final appearance.
This week's last-four clash pits the two nations against one another for only the second time in World Cup history, with the first having come in the 2002 final when Brazil emerged triumphant to secure a record fifth title.
