Man Utd target shines as Germany demolish Portugal
Published:Widely tipped as the European side most likely to break the continent’s World Cup duck on South American soil this summer, Germany wasted no time in showcasing their credentials for the trophy.
Joachim Low’s side’s ruthless 4-0 win over Portugal might have been aided by Pepe’s latest bout of on-the-pitch idiocy but the result makes their 9/2 odds to win the tournament very tempting.
Thomas Muller evoked his famous namesake Gerd in bagging three goals to make a mockery of claims Germany would struggle due to their lack of an out and out striker.
The Bayern Munich player’s hat trick saw his odds to be the tournament’s top scorer tumble to 3/1.
Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels was also on the scoresheet and the centre-back’s impressive all-round performance will not have gone unnoticed by Manchester United fans.
Hummels has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for several seasons and with Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand both departing the club this summer, now would seem the perfect time for the Red Devils to make their move.
As well as nodding in Toni Kroos’ corner to make it 2-0 in the 32nd minute, Hummels was key to keeping Portugal’s attack, including Cristiano Ronaldo, at bay before coming off injured with 20 minutes to go.
The centre-back made two tackles and two interceptions, neatly dividing up defensive duties with the humungous Per Mertesacker who made none of either but did complete six clearances.
Hummels is undoubtedly the class act in Germany’s defence and would be a superb replacement for Rio Ferdinand if United could persuade Dortmund to let him go.
The exodus of key players from Dortmund in recent years has been continued this summer by Robert Lewandowski’s move to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich, which might make Der BVB loathe to sell Hummels,
However, if they can line up a suitable replacement, such as Basel’s Fabian Schar, United might be able to push through a move with a big enough bid, with at least £30m likely to be needed.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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