Porto Alegre: Underdogs Algeria have the chance to settle a 32-year-old World Cup score and create a major 2014 upset by knocking out Germany in their last-16 clash.
The sides meet here, but the 1982 World Cup in Spain remains a sore point in Algeria, three decades after ‘the shame of Gijon’.
Despite beating West Germany 2-1 in their group games, Algeria was eliminated after the Germans played out a mutually beneficial 1-0 win over Austria in Gijon.
German coach Joachim Loew has warned his side against complacency or looking beyond Algeria to a possible quarterfinal against France or Nigeria.
More pressingly, Loew is under pressure to end the Germans 24-year wait for another World Cup title after Italy 1990.
Thomas Mueller’s second half thunderbolt gave Germany a 1-0 win over the USA in their final group match, but Thursday’s victory in Recife came at a price.
Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski sits out the Algeria match after a scan on Saturday revealed he has a small tear in his thigh muscle. (AP)
