Witters Sport – USA Today Sports

The German side are almost assured with a spot in Brazil next year, but they need to get past the challenge of Ireland at home to complete the task.

Through eight games, Joachim Low’s men are sitting comfortably at the top of the Group C standings with 22 points in eight matches. A draw will be enough to secure a playoff berth and a win will automatically put them in Brazil. Ireland, on the other hand, are sitting fourth with 11 points and they need a miracle to keep their chances alive after this game.

Germany are mostly composed of players from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, so there are several quality players in the roster. One player to highlight, however, is central midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. The Dortmund playmaker is known for his ability to move the ball around and assist his teammates, as he has a great chemistry with former teammate Mario Gotze and with Marco Reus.

Arsenal star Mesut Ozil is also worth of a mention as he seems to be a brand new player after landing at the Emirates Stadium.

The Irish team, on the other hand, will rely heavily on experienced striker Robbie Keane. The former Premier League star still has a lot left in the tank and due to his skill set and poaching ability, he’s a very dangerous striker when he’s on his game.

Prediction: Germany 3-0 Ireland

The hosts will be too much to handle for Ireland, who are currently in a renewal stage of the roster. Germany are a well-oiled machine and are considered as World Cup contenders, so they shouldn’t have any kind of trouble to defeat their rivals.

Juan Pablo Aravena is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jparavenarant or add him to your network on Google