Chapter 734 - 734: Chapter-732 The Pre-Match Build

The next day.

The World Cup quarterfinals—the first matchday!

Two World Cup quarterfinal matches would be played today.

The first was none other than the France–Germany clash!

Four hours after that match kicked off, the second would follow: host nation Brazil would fight a South American civil war of sorts, taking on Colombia.

Tomorrow would bring Argentina against Belgium, and the Netherlands against Costa Rica.

In the mouths of the media—France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and the Netherlands were all favourites to lift the trophy.

And of those, the two hottest favourites were the two South American nations.

Brazil and Argentina.

At noon, the sun over Rio de Janeiro still blazed aggressively, spilling across the magnificent dome of the Maracanã, wrapping the stadium that had cradled countless footballing legends in a shifting haze of scorching heat.

With an hour still to go before the France–Germany quarterfinal kicked off, the streets surrounding the stadium had long since been swallowed by a surging tide of people, alive with noise.

The pre-match atmosphere was like water at a scalding boil, and it would not let up.

On the streets ringing the stadium, the crowds moved—fans in French jerseys and fans in German jerseys threaded together, opposing sides sharing the very same fever. Each cheered on their team in their own way.

Around the stadium, reporters from all over the world shouldered cameras and gripped microphones, weaving through the crowd, stopping fans at random for interviews, capturing the true voice of the people before this clash of titans.

A female reporter holding a microphone stopped a young fan wearing a Julien's jersey with the French flag painted across his face, and asked with a smile: "Hi there—what do you make of today's France–Germany showdown? Do you think France can win?"

The young fan's eyes lit with excitement. "I firmly believe France is going to win!" he said. "Ten goals in three matches—Julien is our support. We've waited so long for revenge for 2012's Euros. This time, with Julien on the pitch, we're going to get it and not just win. I want to watch him keep smashing scoring records, keep making history."

With that, he thrust a Julien poster high into the air and shouted, "Vive La Julien!"

The reporter next stopped a middle-aged fan in a German jersey and cap. "Hello—Germany's looked like it's had a tough time in the knockout rounds so far. Do you think Germany wins today? Especially against a hot in form Julien—does Germany have what it takes to shut him down?"

The middle-aged fan laughed. "Of course we will! Löw's tactical setup has never let us down. Sure, Julien's ten goals in three games is impressive, but our German back line isn't for show either. Give us everything we've got and we'll contain him. Three straight World Cups, three straight semifinals—that's the pedigree of the German machine. Beat France, march into the final four—it's no problem."

Then the reporter interviewed a local Brazilian fan. "Who are you backing? What do you think is the biggest storyline of this match?"

The Brazilian fan laughed. "That's such a hard call! Both sides are European giants, each with their own edge—France has a talent like De Rocca, all that firepower up front; Germany plays tight, disciplined football. It's going to be a great match either way. But if you're making me choose—I'm hoping the weaker side wins. Makes the semifinal easier on Brazil!"

By now, fans had already made their way into the Maracanã.

Both teams' players were getting ready to take the pitch and warm up.

Inside the French locker room.

Deschamps stood at the centre of the room, his gaze was sweeping slowly across every player.

"I'll say this one last time—our tactical core today stays the same: defend and counter. No matter how the match on the pitch shifts, hold to that principle. Meet every change with the same response.

Germany will push everything forward, try to smother us through possession. Don't let their rhythm rattle us. Defence first—hold our line. That's the key to winning this."

He pointed to the defensive shape marked on the tactics board, pressing the point further: "Everyone stays locked in. Work together, cover each other, rotate in time—don't wait for the ball! Stay sharp, all of you! Try not to make a single mistake, even one small slip could turn fatal."

Turning to the possibility of things going against them on the pitch, Deschamps went on.

"I know this match carries a lot of weight. But I need this from you—whether we fall behind or not, don't panic, don't rush, and don't abandon the defend-and-counter plan.

Even if we're temporarily behind, settle your minds. Hold the defence. Wait for the moment to counter. Our speed on the break and Julien's individual quality—that's our greatest edge. Seize one chance, and it could turn the whole match around."

"Remember—none of us is fighting alone out there. Trust each other, work with each other! All of you, remember this: hold steady, and that's victory. Hold the tactics, and that's how we advance!"

The players nodded, one after another, and answered together: "Understood!"

With his instructions finished, the players rose, straightened their kits, strapped on their gear, and walked one by one toward the locker room door, heading out toward the pitch to warm up.

In the corridor, most of the players walked in silence, each settling into their own state of mind, the air was still thick with pre-match tension.

Walking in the middle of the group, Pogba turned toward Julien beside him with a trace of unease he couldn't quite hide on his face. "Julien, honestly, I'm a little nervous," he said softly. "This is Germany we're up against. I've never been this nervous before. You... are you nervous?"

Julien turned his head, studying Pogba's tightly tense expression, and gave a slow nod. "I'm nervous too. This match is so important—how could I not be? But don't worry—the moment we step onto the pitch, all the nerves will melt away. We just need to focus on the game, do what we're here to do."

Pogba heard this and gave a small smile. "I hope so. Honestly, I never imagined I'd stand on a stage like this—with you, marching toward the World Cup semifinal. I really do hope we go further than this."

Julien looked at Pogba, gave his shoulder a pat. "We will. We're definitely going further."

As they spoke, the two had already reached the entrance of the players' tunnel, the deafening roar of the crowd already pouring in from inside the stadium.

Pogba drew a deep breath. Julien gave his back a pat, and the two exchanged a look, a smile, and walked shoulder to shoulder out toward the pitch.

Behind them, their teammates followed closely.

They took the field!

Meanwhile, In France, in Paris—since Paris and Rio de Janeiro are about four hours apart, so as the players in Brazil were warming up, it was already past four in the afternoon in Paris.

The Parisian sun still hung warm and gentle, spilling over the grand square before the Hôtel de Ville, turning it into a sea of fans, roaring and boiling over.

More than thirty thousand French fans had already packed the square in front of the Paris City Hall.

Far beyond anyone's expectations!

The dense crowd stretched from the doors of the Hôtel de Ville out into the surrounding streets even the steps of the square, even the spaces beside the lampposts, were packed with people, without a gap to spare.

At the centre of the square stood a massive LED screen, towering above the crowd.

It was playing the pre-match buildup between France and Germany.

A stirring, rousing melody rang out across the square, and every fan there was swept up in the pre-match fever.

Among the crowd, nothing drew the eye more than a cluster of fans in Bastia jerseys—waving both Bastia's club flag and the French tricolour, some holding signs that read "Julien, Bastia is proud of you" and "From Bastia to Paris, we walk with you."

Most of them had made the trip specially from Bastia without the means to travel all the way to Brazil to watch in person, they'd agreed instead to gather here at the Hôtel de Ville, to stand with countless fellow countrymen and cheer on the French national team, cheer on Julien.

In the crowd, a fan from Bastia, clutching a Julien poster tight in his hands, said with excitement:

"I couldn't make it to Brazil, but standing here with this many of my countrymen, cheering the team on—it feels just as electric! Julien is Bastia's pride, the one who came up out of our town. Ten goals in three matches—it's a miracle, and we've seen every bit of it with our own eyes. Today, we're going to stand right here and watch him lead France to its revenge against Germany. Watch him keep writing the legend."

All across the square, knots of fans buzzed with talk, one conversation was rolling into the next.

"Julien's scoring today, it's no question—if he's on form, Germany's got no way to stop him!"

"The heartbreak of 2012—today's the day we make it right. Let Germany see just how strong France is now!"

"I've watched France play for decades—never been this fired up before. Thirty thousand of us, packed in together, roaring for one team. That's the power of football. That's the pull of our own country, too."

"Exactly. Julien showing up hasn't just lifted this team a level—he's given us hope for the whole nation. He's our national hero. This match isn't just about revenge—it's proof that French football is on the rise!"

In the crowd, there were couples holding each other close, faces full of anticipation; there were parents with children, pointing up at Julien on the big screen, quietly telling the story of this young French team; there were fans waving flags, chanting slogans together with the people standing beside them.

In this moment, the more than thirty thousand fans at the Paris Hôtel de Ville, the fans inside the Maracanã in Brazil, and the players of the French national team across the ocean, across the miles were all of one heart.

Time slipped by quickly.

And soon, on the big screen, the picture cut to the players' tunnel at the Maracanã—both teams' players were ready to walk out!

BOOM!

BOOM, BOOM!!

The square erupted at once into a deafening roar.

Tens of thousands of voices rose together, tearing through the Parisian sky, as if reaching all the way to distant Brazil, all the way into the ears of the French players.

Everyone there was waiting for the moment the whistle would sound.

As the players walked out onto the pitch—a thunderous roar broke out at once!

At the same moment, the voice of the French commentator rang out across the Paris city square as well: "Both sides' players have stepped onto the pitch—a clash at the very top of the game is about to begin!

Before we get into the match itself, let's look back at the history between these two teams, break down today's starting lineups for both sides, and try to read where this marquee showdown is headed.

First, let's look at the history of these two teams' meetings.

In official senior internationals, France and Germany have met 26 times. Overall, Les Bleus hold the slight edge with 11 wins, 6 draws, and 9 losses—though the gap in strength between the two sides is razor-thin. Every meeting has been a needle against a blade.

On the World Cup stage specifically, the two have met three times. In regulation time across those three meetings, it's one win, one draw, one loss apiece as even as it gets.

Looking back through their World Cup history: at the 1958 World Cup third-place match, France routed Germany by a lopsided 6–3, a result that became one of the classic chapters in the history of French football.

At the 1982 World Cup semifinal, the two sides staged a peak clash—3–3 through regulation and extra time before Germany, with the steadier nerve in the penalty shootout, came out on top and eliminated France.

At the 1986 World Cup semifinal, Germany beat France again, 2–0, and marched confidently into the final.

And it's worth noting—for the French side, this match also carries a special weight of revenge.

At the 2012 European Championship semifinals, France was eliminated by none other than Germany and Julien De Rocca, sidelined with injury at the time, missed the match, a moment that became a lasting regret for countless French fans.

"Now, with Julien in such form with his ten goals in three matches shocking the football world and this French squad at such strength, can they settle the score today, can they rewrite the recent balance of power between these two sides? That's something all of us are eager to see.

Now, let's move on to today's starting lineups for both sides.

First, France—still in their familiar 4-3-3 shape. Here's the starting eleven: in goal, Lloris; the back line made up of Debuchy, Varane, Sakho, and Evra, a line built to balance pace with stability, ready to shoulder the burden of defending against Germany's attack; in midfield, Pogba, Cabaye, and Matuidi take the field together.

And the attacking trident remains Oliver Giroud, Julien, and Griezmann—Julien roaming free through the centre, Giroud serving as the target man, Griezmann working the flanks and cutting inside. This front three has already shown terrifying firepower through this World Cup, and Julien in particular stands as this team's undisputed attacking core.

Now to Germany—head coach Löw has made three key changes to his starting eleven, a sign of just how seriously he's taking this match.

After the reshuffle, Lahm drops back into the defensive line, replacing Mustafi from the previous match, adding both defensive solidity and better linkup play to the back line;in midfield, Khedira starts, bringing more grit and running power to the middle of the park.

At the attack, Klose starts in place of Götze—Klose's first start of this World Cup. The arrival of this legendary German striker will no doubt bring both experience and threat to Germany's attack.

On top of that, "Hummels returns from injury, taking Mertesacker's place, pairing with Boateng at centre-back to round out Germany's defensive line.

It's safe to assume this restructured back line will be built specifically to shut down the French attack led by Julien.

Germany's full lineup is as follows: Neuer, Lahm, Hummels, Boateng, Höwedes, Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Kroos, Ozil, Müller, and Klose.

Looking at the two starting lineups: France comes out with its complete first team, determined to ride its hot form to a win and complete its revenge;

Germany, meanwhile, has reshuffled its lineup to plug specific defensive gaps while also sharpening its attacking edge—clearly, they, too, have come fully prepared to give everything they have.

The clash between these two sides is bound to be fierce..."

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