Germany coach Joachim Low warned on Monday that Brazil are still a dangerous opponent even without the injured Neymar.
The Brazilian star was injured in Friday’s 2-1 victory over Colombia and will miss the rest of the World Cup with a fractured vertebrae.
In an interview with the German Football Association, the 54-year-old coach said his absence will force other quality players to step up.
“You always want to see the best players in action at a World Cup,” said Low, “and the players always want to measure themselves up to the very best.
“It’s a pity that Brazil have to play without two of their best, but they will be able to cover for them.
Defender and captain Thiago Silva will also miss the match due to yellow card accumulation.
“We all know how strong Brazil are,” continued Low. “They were the big favourites right from the start and the players have mostly coped with this role outstandingly.
“They underlined at the Confederations Cup last year that the expectation levels lift them further and the pressure doesn’t numb them.
“What they’ve done is good for the whole tournament; it’s good when the hosts go so far, but we’re self-confident and we’ve gelled more as the tournament has progressed.
“We’ll devise a good plan and give Brazil a real fight. The chances are even and it’s going to come down to something really minor, who reaches the final.”
As for his own team, the coach did not indicate who would be in his starting line-up, after Miroslav Klose had began the quarter-final against France over Lukas Podolski, while Philipp Lahm had dropped into defence.
“Sometimes I just have to follow my intuition,” Low said. “Of course, I talk to the players too, and my coaching team.
“But, you know what? In the end, I make the decisions.”
