ARGENTINA VS GERMANY PREDICTIONS AND QUARTER FINAL TIPS PART ONE

This is a genuinely mouth-watering clash and would have been the choice of many to wind up as the World Cup final. It pits two sides against each other that definitely know how to get the ball forward and attack, so I expect a fair amount of offensive verve in this one. 

It's a fascinating match-up between flair and technical football, with the bookmakers all pricing Argentina as the firm favourites- you can tell Germany aren't used to the underdog role as a nation, but this particular team is a bit pluckier than German teams of old and I sort of get the feeling that this is how the players would prefer it. 
In regards to outright qualification for the semi-finals, you'll find Argentina at a slim 1.57 price tag while Germany are priced at 2.25. 
In the match betting market, which includes just the 90 minutes, prices Argentina at an enticing 2.25 while Germany trade at 3.25- the same price as the 90 minute draw. Could you imagine extra-time with this many match-winners on the pitch? It could very well be some of the most intense football you'd ever see. 
Should the match actually wind up going to an extra period, the favoured outcome is Argentina to win in extra-time at a 9.0 price. Argentina to win on penalties is trading at 11.0, which is the same price as Germany in a shoot-out. Germany to win the match in extra-time would pay 12.0. 
The correct score odds are favouring a 1-1 draw and you'll find that priced at a 6.5 listing while a 1-0 result to either team is rewarding at 7.0. 2-1 to Germany is paying out at 13.0 while 2-1 to Argentina is a much-shorter 8.0. That tells you something. A 3-2 result to Argentina is priced at 29.0 while the same scoreline in favour of Germany is priced at 41.0. 
I think that this one could seriously go so many different ways that it ranks among the most difficult matches of the 2010 World Cup in terms of predictions. I am confident that it will favour the in-play punter and I definitely don't think this one will wind up as a 1-0 result. Stay tuned for the second part of our preview for goalscorer analysis and our outright predictions!