Attacking midfield and upfront:
Mario Goetze (Germany) – The talented Bayern Munich youngster perhaps hasn’t made quite the desired impact at this World Cup so far, but he remains one of the most talented attacking midfielders in the world at the moment and one of many immense choices for Germany in this position.
Thomas Mueller (Germany) – Capable of playing either upfront or behind the striker, Thomas Mueller would surely be one of the first names on the team sheet for both club and country at the moment with his superb performances in recent years. After announcing himself at the 2010 World Cup, winning the Golden Boot when still only 21, the German is in fine form again this time round with four goals and counting, including a memorable hat-trick against Portugal in the group stages.
Mesut Ozil (Germany) – A classy playmaker, Mesut Ozil may have had an inconsistent first season at Arsenal following his big-money move from Real Madrid, but he deserves his place here as he has held off some strong competition to remain first choice for his country. France have some fine midfielders themselves, but even the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Mathieu Valbuena don’t stand much of a chance against the quality Germany have at their disposal here.
Karim Benzema (France) – Finally, France striker Karim Benzema becomes the fourth from his national side to make this combined XI. Although veteran Germany centre-forward Miroslav Klose has been something of a legend at World Cup finals and will have Ronaldo’s record in his sights for the rest of this tournament, Benzema is simply world class and at the top of his game at the moment for both Real Madrid and Les Bleus.
The Germany & France combined XI in full:
SEE ALSO: The 50 best players at the 2014 World Cup.
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