All the key battles that could decide Germany vs Brazil

Here are four key battles in Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final between Brazil and Germany in Belo Horizonte’s Mineirao stadium: Dante v Thomas Mueller: This could be the most decisive battle in the game with the central defender shouldering the burden of responsibility in the hosts’ backline following the suspension of captain Thiago Silva. Mueller has been the man in the box for Germany so far and despite having a quiet last couple of games, is already one of the World Cup’s stars with nine goals in the tournament’s history. While Dante hasn’t played a second in the World Cup so far, he will able to rely on his knowledge of his Bayern Munich teammate and Bundesliga. [caption id=“attachment_1607423” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Mueller has been the man in the box for Germany so far and despite having a quiet last couple of games, is already one of the World Cup’s stars. Reuters[/caption] Dante’s pace and his ability to read the game like few defenders in the world will certainly be tested. If Miroslav Klose plays, then Dante may also have to deal with the target-man who is chasing a record 16th World Cup goal. Klose’s effectiveness in close-quarter combat is almost legendary but Dante is quicker than teammate David Luiz and should also cope better with the aerial threat of Germany. Fred v Mats Hummels: At the other end of the pitch, Germany central defender Mats Hummels will have to shackle forward Fred, who will have added responsibilities following the injury absence of Neymar. Fred, hugely experienced, has had a quiet World Cup so far, netting just once. He has had to soak up a lot of criticism for failing to score more goals as Brazil’s sole center forward. With talismanic Neymar out with a back injury, more will be expected of Fred who thrives on his positional sense — something we have not yet witnessed this tournament. But Hummels should still be wary and cannot take his eyes off the 30-year-old inside the box even if he is far less effective than a few years ago. The German can physically match the tall forward, is very strong in the air and more agile than his central defense partner Jerome Boateng which should help him keep wily Fred away from danger. Oscar v Phillip Lahm: The gifted Oscar will also have more attacking duties with Neymar out but he will come up against one of the best right-backs in the business. Oscar’s quick pace and skills will be tested by Lahm, who reverted back to his fullback duties midway through the tournament after a less than successful stint as holding midfielder. With the Germany captain also adding attacking impetus, Oscar will need to be fully alert if he is to nip quick German counter-attacks launched by Lahm in the bud. This battle depends on where Oscar starts. We expect him to come in place of Neymar through the centre where he strives for Chelsea which would mean either Willian or Bernard roam one flank while Hulk roams the other. But Luiz Felipe Scolari has used Oscar out wide throughout the tournament and he has switched wings. With him being the creative force in the Brazil squad, we expect Lahm to take him on. Hulk v Benedikt Hoewedes: It will be equally hard work for Germany’s left back Hoewedes against athletic Hulk. Hoewedes, a trained central defender, has been deployed as fullback in this tournament and has largely been successful apart from the match against Algeria where he was exposed by quick counters. While he does not contribute to launching quick breaks and remains a far more defensive fullback than Lahm, he must be at the top of his game against Hulk, who loves nothing more than challenging defenders to match his speed and power. Hoewedes will need to avoid being lured too far out of position by Hulk, who often switches sides. Extremely powerful and quick Hulk will be a major challenge for workhorse Hoewedes, who lacks the Brazilian’s pace and strength. Hulk also has a rocket of a shot which he hasn’t unleashed yet — and with Neymar out, he will need to provide a long-range threat. With input from Reuters